Yesterday's Future
by Alcestis
Summary: Follows the events of CROSSROADS. Does the past hold the clues to the future?
1. New Life

**Yesterday's Future**

(Non)Standard Disclaimer: Nakago, Miaka & Co. belong to Watase Yuu. I don't own anything except the plot and rights to Nakago's reincarnated name, Nicholas Raine. Pity…

* * *

**Chapter 1 : New Life**

"…_I know now, without a doubt in my mind, that while he remembers the past, he holds onto it now only to remind him of what he continues living for."_

_— Miaka, "Vengeance" by Nel_

Nicholas opened his eyes, his mind fully alert even though it was…he glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table, 3:27 AM in the morning. Extending his senses, he scanned the spacious apartment, searching for…_what?_ Something had brought him awake, but he did not find anything suspicious in the immediate vicinity. His first priority was—and would always be—the tiny female who lay peacefully asleep beside him, curled warmly into the crook of his body.

She stirred slightly but did not wake. He willed himself to stay relaxed in case he disturbed her. He did not want to worry her unnecessarily. His wife sometimes showed a frightening degree of perception when one least expected it…And living in close quarters with him had only honed that ability, to the point that she was getting quite good at judging his moods even when he suppressed any outward signs of emotion.

How far they had come since that first meeting in Kutou. It still amazed him that they had ended up with each other, after all that had happened and all that he had done to her. They had been enemies, friends and everything else in-between, and now, she was the person most precious to him.

He had made a vow to protect her above all else, and it was not one he took lightly. Which was a good thing too, since Miaka had a dubious talent for getting into trouble. Not that she went out of her way searching for trouble deliberately, but it seemed to come looking for her all on its own!

Still, the unshakable sense that _something _had happened, was enough cause for concern. Especially given who _she_ was and who _he_ was; the former Suzaku no Miko and Seiryuu no shichi seishi Nakago. Their experiences in the Book of the Four Gods had taught him never to doubt his instincts. _Never take anything for granted. _Frowning, he called forth his seishi abilities to their fullest extent and tried again, searching for any threat, no matter how minor. Something felt…not exactly wrong, but different. Methodically, he analysed and ruled out each possibility until at last, just as he was about to give up, he detected a minuscule, wavering trace of chi, so faint that he would have missed it completely if he had been using anything less than his full powers. And the source of it…

…was coming from the woman in his arms.

Each person's life-force was unique, like DNA, or a fingerprint. No two people gave off exactly the same aura, and Miaka's was more distinctive than most, the brilliant notes of it weaving together into an intense, soaring aria, proclaiming her to be a veritable tempest-in-a-teapot of passion to anyone who had even the faintest iota of chi-sensing ability. It never ceased to fascinate and arouse him, especially when all that fire was directed at him.

And now, there was a single extra note overlaying the bright, happy tune. The merest hum in the song.

Was there something wrong with her? Poison? Some kind of disease?

Ruthlessly subduing the very human stab of anxiety which threatened to overcome all rational thought, he carefully concentrated his energy on her, moving his hand over her body, a hairsbreadth from her skin, almost touching but not quite. The answer came to him a moment later, as dawning comprehension gave way to an overwhelming sense of awe and a million or so other emotions he could not hope to identify. Palm hovering over her abdomen, he slowly let out the long breath he had not realised he had been holding; the sheer enormity of his discovery rendering him immobile.

Miaka was pregnant.

In time, the new life that was just beginning in her womb would develop a stronger chi signature; a unique mingling of his own and Miaka's life-forces. The bond he shared with her was so strong and went so deep that on a sub-conscious level, he had apparently picked up on the subtle change in her at the moment of conception. Hand resting lightly but possessively over her still-flat belly, Nicholas allowed his lips to curve slightly in a faint smirk as he recalled how this had come to pass. Despite the circumstances, this child had been conceived out of love.

They had been married for a while now, and he knew she longed for a baby although she had not voiced it. After much deliberation, he had to admit that the notion held a certain appeal. So far, he had been discreetly using his chi as a form of contraception. It was but one of the handy tricks of Bochuu-Jutsu. By placing his hand low on her abdomen after they had made love, and sending a gentle but focused surge of energy into her body, it altered her life-force enough to prevent pregnancy.

He wondered if Miaka had noticed that he'd stopped doing that a few weeks ago…

Like any other couple, they had their disagreements and verbal sparring matches, but they made up almost immediately afterwards, and often in the most…pleasurable of ways. Which had been exactly how the night had started out. They had been arguing over his reluctance to even speak to Saihitei during the last get-together (he tolerated those because they were important to her), as well as some cutting remarks that he had made about the pop star. Actually, she had done all the yelling and he had merely lifted an eyebrow, which seemed to infuriate the ex-Miko even more. Growing annoyed by her steadfast defence of the former Suzaku emperor, Nicholas had silenced her by abruptly dragging her against him and sealing his lips over hers. Anger had quickly morphed into something equally intense and explosive, and…well, suffice to say that he was now extremely thankful he'd allowed Miaka to talk him into purchasing the thick, luxurious sheepskin rug that lay along the short corridor between the living room and their bedroom…

Over the course of their marriage, they had been intimate countless times, yet he did not think he would ever tire of making love to his delectable little wife. The heated passion and powerful emotions which swirled around them made every time seem like the first, connecting them in body, spirit and soul. There could be no other for either of them. With the openness that came so easily to her, Miaka never made a secret of her feelings for him, and he…

…He loved her with all that he was. He'd come to terms with that a long time ago, when he had accepted the second chance that Fate had granted him. It had not taken him long to realise that the times he felt happiest were when _she_ was happy. She had given him so much of herself; the gift of happiness more than he had ever dared to hope for. As Nakago, he would never have believed this level of contentment to be attainable. Had he known that this was the future that awaited him, perhaps he might have done things a bit differently. Perhaps he would have—…

His train of thought was interrupted when Miaka let out a little sigh, innocently unaware of the life-changing event which had just occurred. Even in sleep, her small hand was splayed on his bare chest, right over his heart. A silent proclamation ownership. Not that she really needed to stake a claim…it already belonged to her anyway. His mouth quirked; she was an enthusiastic lover and regularly left her own marks on him. It never quite came to the point of drawing blood, but he knew that the skin on his back bore long red welts from her nails after their recent…activities.

Nicholas considered his options, contemplating if he should tell her what had happened when she awakened in a few hours or if he should let her find out in the usual way.

* * *

Things rarely went according to plan, especially when it involved the former Suzaku no Miko.

"And _today_ of all days…" Miaka moaned as she leaned weakly against the cool porcelain of the toilet bowl. The morning had started out like any other, then she had walked into the kitchen and caught a whiff of the delicious smell of frying bacon coming in from the open window. While her nose had liked the aroma, her stomach apparently had other ideas...

It was bad enough that Nakago had to go to work to deal with an urgent issue on a Saturday and leave her to wake up alone. But it was her birthday!She wondered what she had eaten the previous night that obviously had not agreed with her. Had it been the carton of expired yoghurt she had found in the refrigerator? It had tasted alright though…

Shakily getting to her feet, she brushed her teeth before indulging in a long warm shower to chase away the lingering headache brought on by all the retching.

Much later, feeling slightly more human, she blotted her skin with a towel and wandered back into the bedroom to dress. She knew that it was unfair of her to blame her beloved husband for any of her troubles this morning (he was merely a convenient target). After all, the handsome blonde Seiryuu seishi had turned out to be everything she could wish for in a mate (other than the icy impassivity, which would never change), and much, _much_ more…

Back at the beginning of their acquaintance in the Shijintenchisho, she would never have dreamed of having any kind of relationship with him, much less foreseen how addictive being married to the arrogant jerk could be! The young woman blushed at the sight of the rumpled bed sheets, recalling the intimate moments they had shared the night before which had left her trembling and weak; her body completely sated…yet for some reason, had also brought her close to tears. While he had never hurt her during their lovemaking, he had been exceptionally tender in recent weeks, treating her as though she were made of spun glass. Now that she thought about it, however, Nakago had been behaving a little strangely ever since the morning after their argument over his disdainful attitude towards Hotohori...she frowned, doing a quick mental calculation_. Has it already been a month?_ _Wow, time does fly when you're having fun with your very own evil hunky blonde shogun…_

That brought a goofy smile to her face. She loved him—icicles and all—and couldn't recall a time when she had been happier.

She wondered if the man's odd behaviour had anything to do with their quarrel that night. Nothing really alarming, but she had felt him watching her with a disconcertingly intent gaze a few times, as if examining her and waiting for something to happen.

After a moment, Miaka shrugged. No point worrying about it…Who knew what went on in that impossibly complex and twisted mind of his? Her husband was a far cry from any other man in her acquaintance. Experience had taught her that if he wanted her to know, he would tell her…eventually.

* * *

Her nausea from the morning a distant memory, she accepted a gift and a tight hug from the most beautiful man she was ever likely to meet in this lifetime. And she wasn't the only one who felt that way either, if Andy's hordes of fans were any indication. She could feel her husband's impassive stare from the other end of the room. _Oh boy, he's going to make me pay for that…_she felt a shiver of anticipation run up her spine. Nakago could get deliciously possessive of her at times, especially when it concerned Tamahome and Hotohori. She kept telling him that he had absolutely nothing to worry about when it came to her two seishi, but while Nakago was a man more sophisticated than most, even he sometimes succumbed to primitive male instincts...

The birthday party thrown in her honour by Yui was held in a private room at a one of her favourite restaurants. All the usual suspects were present, and now, after eating her fill (which was enough to feed a small army), she took a deep breath, preparing to blow out the candles on a huge cake.

She felt him behind her, his fingers tracing light, sensual patterns over the thin silk at her hips. His touch seemed to burn right through the material to play havoc with her nerve endings. _Anata no baka…don't you DARE! _It looked like Nakago was about to exact his revenge for the hug Hotohori had given her. The gesture was both affectionate and unmistakably territorial. In other words, it was carefully calculated to make her former seishi jealous.

As for her, the annoyingly devious bastard knew very well the response he could draw from her body with merely a stroke of his hand, the same way a maestro coaxed a tune from a violin. For an instant, she regretted wearing the slinky, shimmery dress which seemed to consist of little more than spun light and air. Although it had been almost worth it earlier, when she had emerged from the bedroom dressed for the party and saw the hot flare of desire in her husband's eyes, their pale silver-blue deepening to almost the same hue as the twilit evening sky outside…

If things had been left up to Nakago, they would never have made it in time for the party. Or more likely, they would never have made it out of the house at all!

"What will you wish for, Koibito?" he murmured into her ear, his lips just barely caressing the sensitive flesh; his deep voice raising goosebumps on her arms.

"How about the future of the world as you know it?" An uninvited and very unwelcomed voice interrupted rudely, causing everyone to jump violently.

Miaka felt Nakago's hands tighten around her waist as they turned to face the source; a person they had not seen and heard from in years. Which had been a relief in any case…because invariably, the unsightly old hag tended to be the bearer of bad news.

"Taiitsukun!" Miaka hissed, less than happy to greet the party-crasher. "What do you want? And don't tell me you need the Suzaku no Miko again! Go find another girl, I'm retired!" she ground out, forcing the words out from between gritted teeth. How she hated Taiitsukun's interference in her life, well aware that it would not take much meddling from the Gods to destroy the fragile happiness she and Nakago had found with each other.

The all-powerful being looked ready to lambast the former priestess for the rude greeting, when a strange distortion interrupted any words which might have been spoken. Taiitsukun's image rippled, as if a stone had been thrown into the still waters of a pond. All at once, Miaka noticed that the overseer of Universe of the Four Gods looked even more haggard than usual, with deep lines of strain etched into the leathery skin.

Hazel eyes widening in alarm, Miaka could feel the heavy sense of foreboding which lodged in the pit of her stomach like a ball of lead. "What's wrong?" she demanded, even as she laced her fingers through her husband's, suddenly afraid of what Taiitsukun had to say. The old hag seemed to be on edge, looking over her shoulder at something that they could not see. Impossibly, it seemed that something had rattled her enough to make even the powerful goddess herself nervous. _That can't be a good thing_, Miaka felt herself paling. She could feel the tightly corded tension in the blonde man beside her, and knew his thoughts reflected hers.

Uncharacteristic sweat beaded on Taiitsukun's forehead as the Overseer turned her attention back to the former Miko and seishi in the room. From somewhere behind her, there was a sudden loud blast, causing her astral projection to waver again, more violently this time. "There isn't time to explain, I need the seishis' help," she barked out the words, making a slicing motion with a gnarled hand. "And may the Great Creator have mercy on us all."

Miaka was aware of Nakago's arms clamping around her body in a fierce embrace a second before an irresistible force ripped her away from him. The last thing she remembered was screaming his name and seeing the unfamiliar expression of heart-stopping fear for her safety flicker across his normally stoic features…

In the next instant, there was a brilliant flash like a detonating nuclear bomb, leaving all in the room blinded by the intense white light. Keisuke staggered backwards into a chair and fell over. Cursing like a sailor, he blinked rapidly. As the black spots in his vision cleared, he saw Tetsuya and Yui doing the same…

Only to find a deafening silence greeting them. Nicholas, Miaka, and Andy were gone.

"_KUSO!_ Not bloody again!" Keisuke growled tersely, giving voice to the sentiment which was running through all their minds laced with varying degrees of obscenity and vehemence.

"Personally, I would have gone for something a little more crude, but yeah…" his best friend muttered tightly, putting his arm around the former dragon miko's slim shoulders. Tetsuya and Yui had started dating shortly after Miaka's wedding. They had been inseparable ever since.

With a stifled and very colourful expletive that caused her boyfriend's eyebrows to climb toward his hairline, Yui stomped over to the table which still held the now abandoned birthday cake. The candles were still lighted and—fortunately enough—had yet to set fire to the rest of the room. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she closed her eyes and blew out the tiny flames, wishing to any god who would listen to keep Miaka safe.

* * *

Notes:

1) Welcome to the first chapter of the newest addition to my unholy Miaka/Nakago series. This story picks up several years from when we saw them last in "Crossroads". I know I've been M.I.A. for almost a year, but as Miaka points out, time does fly when you're having fun...although in my case, there's no hunky blonde shogun anywhere in the picture. Darn.

2) Mapping out this story took a while. Originally, I was working on a single, very shaky and highly improbable _sentence _(not even a full _IDEA_)...now how's **_that_** for half-baked? I knew how the story was going to end, but had no idea how to engineer things so that it would turn out that way! To that effect, I spent a great deal of time of fleshing out of the main storyline and thinking of ways to close the loopholes that cropped up at every turn. It did not help that my insufferable muse went AWOL for months on end.

(Alcestis has since taken up kick-boxing. The next time her muse deigns to turn up for work, she will gladly introduce his face to the sole of her foot.)

3) Kudos to Nel for writing that wonderful quotation from her fanfic "Vengeance". It just grabbed me by my literary throat when I first read it and hasn't let go since then! I felt that it was the perfect way to kick off this story and echoes the overall theme.


	2. Fushigi Replay

**Chapter 2 : Fushigi Replay**

The unpleasant sensation of a stone digging painfully into her side brought her back to full consciousness. The russet-haired girl groaned, gingerly pushing herself upright while taking stock of her present situation. Nothing important felt broken, so that was a definite plus. On the other hand, she felt bruised all over, like the first few times she and Nakago had—…

He certainly hadn't gone easy on her because she was a beginner.

Her dress, at least, seemed to have survived relatively unscathed on the journey over here and there were no rips in the fragile silk. Still, the question remained: Where exactly was _Here_? Recalling Taiitsukun's hijacking of her birthday party, she muttered a heartfelt curse involving the unsightly deity and the eighteenth level of hell before getting to her feet. A wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to stumble and grab hold of the nearest object…which turned out to be a tree covered with beautiful pure white cherry blossoms.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited until everything stopped spinning around her before reluctantly letting go of the tree. Miaka sighed; first the nausea and the throwing up in the morning, and now this…she sincerely hoped she wasn't getting sick. Of course, aside from that, the whole ball-of-lead-in-the-pit-of-her-stomach feeling which had appeared the moment the old hag had turned up at the restaurant had yet to subside. That, along with a funny sense of déjà vu, was enough to make anyone more than a little queasy.

A gust of wind ruffled her hair, the cool air and the swirling white sakura petals reviving her spirits somewhat. _This place…_she turned to study the tree more closely, _I'm sure that I've seen this place somewhere before. _She noticed that she was atop a small hill and a little to her right, she saw what looked to be a large, sprawling city surrounded by high fortress-like walls. There was a wide, well-travelled dirt road passing by the bottom of the hill which led up to the imposing city gates. _Guess I'm back inside the Shijintenchisho, _the former Suzaku no Miko concluded with resigned acceptance. Her first priority was to find her husband and Hotohori, and the city seemed like the logical place to start. Venting another sigh, Miaka tipped her head back and took a deep, calming breath.

"I swear that this is going to be the _LAST_ time I'm doing this, Taiitsukun! Did you hear me, old hag? THE. LAST. TIME!" she yelled up at the sky.

Having released some of her pent up frustration, she turned and stomped down the hill towards the road.

Thankfully, it did not take her very long to reach her destination. The crush of humans, oxen, live poultry and assorted varieties of farm produce piled high on carts made it easy for her to slip past the heavily armed guards standing on either side of the imposing gates. While her dress was perfectly acceptable back in her world, it looked out of place here in the Universe of the Four Gods and the last thing she wanted to do was to draw undue attention to herself. As she passed beneath the towering structure in the shadow of a cart filled with firewood, she kept her head down and suppressed a shiver. It all seemed horribly familiar, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

Once she was reasonably sure she was out of the guards' line of sight, she turned into the first road which branched off from the wide main street. Leaning against the side of a building, she willed her rapidly beating heart to slow down. For some reason, halfway through the gate, she'd felt a strange sense of anxiety gripping her, making the hair on the back of her neck prickle with unease. Yet, discreet glances around assured Miaka that no one seemed to notice her presence.

Shaking her head to clear the paranoid thoughts, she tried to focus on the problem at hand. _Right, so I'm inside the city. Now what?_ The former Miko bit her lip in thought as she tried to come up with a plan. The first order of business, she supposed, was to obtain some clothes that would allow her to blend in with the general population...

* * *

He studied the girl from the watchtower built into the perimeter wall, high above the crowded entrance to the city. In the sea of people and animals, she alone stood out like a beacon. Her chi was…intriguing. Whatever it was, there was an unmistakable underlying power in her aura which had literally grabbed his attention before she even set foot inside the gate.

_Her clothes, her chi…could she be…? _With narrowed eyes, he followed her progress. She was prudently cautious and seemed fully aware of how different her appearance was from the average townsfolk, taking care to keep her petite, slender body in the shadows of a large cart. He watched her look around warily, as though aware that she was being observed, and wondered if she could sense his intent gaze. He discarded the idea almost as quickly…it was far more probable that she was just nervous. Any normal person would be, while sneaking through gates that were surrounded by soldiers.

From this distance, there was no way he could make out her features clearly, save for the fact that she had long wavy russet hair, but it hardly mattered. Not when he had another, more efficient way of tracking down his quarry.

The day was turning out to be far more interesting than he had anticipated. Perhaps this new development would bring him one step closer to achieving his goals. Even if it turned out otherwise, he was certain that the situation would provide him with some amusement. Sparing one last glance at the gates below, he made a mental note to have the guards punished for their lapse in duty…If that slip of a girl had managed to get inside the capital undetected by them, so could their enemies.

Picking up his sword and cloak, the observer glided down the steep spiral stairs of the watchtower to the ground level. Lifting his head briefly, he took note of the sun's position in the sky and estimated the number of daylight hours left before setting off on her trail.

He greatly looked forward to meeting her.

* * *

They materialised almost on top of each other in an unoccupied cubicle in the men's washroom. Only superior reflexes prevented both of them from ending up on the floor in a highly embarrassing position...As it was, Andy overbalanced and toppled into his unwilling companion, thus sandwiching his erstwhile enemy between his own body and the wall. For a few frozen seconds, neither of them said a word, until the blonde shogun broke the uncomfortable tableau with a low, decidedly sardonic purr right into the Suzaku seishi's ear, "Really, Saihitei, you might want to move sometime soon. I assure you that I'm very happily married and I do not swing that way."

The results were instantaneous. Nicholas smirked as the other man literally leapt away from him like an electrocuted kangaroo; so quickly and with so much force that Andy slammed against the opposite wall of the cubicle. The pretty-boy pop idol's face had turned from red to white, and was currently starting to take on a sickly green tinge.

"Shut up!" Andy snarled angrily, realising that the sadistic bastard who also happened to be Miaka's husband had just won another round in their silent, ongoing battle. For his Miko's sake, he tried to keep his dislike for the impassive Seiryuu general hidden whenever she was around, but he had not forgiven Nakago for winning Miaka's heart. For marrying her…for having the right to hold and kiss her. For having the privilege of making love to her…

_One such as he, _his hands balled into fists, _does not deserve her!_

After all these years, he still felt a twinge of pain and jealousy every time he saw his Miko looking up at her husband with such incredible love in her eyes. And as much as he loathed the arrogant jerk, he wasn't blind or stupid enough to miss the fact that the Walking Ice Block did, in fact, return her feelings. It was a bitter pill for Andy to swallow. Trying to separate Miaka from Nakago would only hurt her, and that was something neither his present nor his past self could bear. He understood, that the only thing he _could_ do was to stand on the sidelines, ready to offer his support if she ever needed it.

As both a friend who loved her dearly and a loyal seishi who would do anything to protect her happiness, it was the noble thing to do.

However, it didn't mean that he had to like it…_Or_ the man that she had chosen to give her heart to.

He gritted his teeth as Nakago opened the cubicle door and calmly strolled out, past a stranger who was looking at that them peculiarly. While the blonde shogun looked as cool and immaculate as ever (damn the man!), some of Andy's long hair had escaped from the loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Catching sight of himself in a mirror, he noticed the somewhat flustered expression on his own face. The noise they had made when they had appeared in this place, coupled with the fact they had both come out of the same cubicle, and now his dishevelled appearance…had obviously led certain disgraceful conclusions being drawn about his sexual orientation.

Once again resisting the urge to commit murder, Andy Wong, musician extraordinaire, swept out of the washroom after Nakago with all the dignity of an emperor…

…only to find himself in a very large, opulent departmental store.

Stopping short, he spoke before realising that he was talking to the person he detested most. "What the heck? This is…?" Shooting a sidelong glance at Nakago, he noticed that all traces of the earlier smirk on the shogun's face were long gone, only to be replaced with the usual bland mask of impassivity.

"Harrods, London," the leader of the Seiryuu seishi supplied laconically.

Andy could feel the onset of a stress migraine building inside his skull. "Please tell me that Taiitsukun didn't send us to other side of the planet."

Unsurprisingly, there was no reply to the mostly rhetorical question. He watched Nakago pulling out a sleek mobile phone and listened as the shogun spoke briefly to Keisuke. From Nakago's side of the conversation, he gathered that Miaka whereabouts still remained a mystery. He waited until the blonde man disconnected the international call before prompting, "Is there anything in the Book of the Four Gods that might tell us?"

Pocketing his phone, Nakago frowned slightly, "Keisuke and Yui have already checked. The Book does not seem to be recording events this time round." _He's worried about her. _However much he did not want to admit having any sort of similarity to the Devil Incarnate, this was the one thing that they were in perfect accord.

"Nicholas! Oh my god, it's been such a long time!"

His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the rather loud feminine exclamation of delight.

A very beautiful brunette woman had approached them and was eyeing Nakago coyly from beneath her long lashes. She boldly reached up to place a kiss on either side of his face in the European style of greeting. Andy privately thought that the woman made the gesture seem needlessly intimate, like a woman welcoming a lover, but the blonde seishi accepted the kisses with gentlemanly grace and a charismatic smile. _No doubt that's the false façade that he shows the rest of the world, _the Chinese pop star mused sourly.

"Hello Jeanette," Nicholas said smoothly, aware that the former emperor was watching him with a look of righteous condemnation. He resisted the urge to sigh. It was not as if he had intended to run into an ex-girlfriend. As luck would have it, Jeanette was one of the last people he wanted to meet; he'd practically had to pry her off his person the last time they had been together. That had been years ago, long before he'd moved to Tokyo and destiny had led him back to a certain fiery little Miko…

_Miaka, where are you? _His main concern was locating his wife and making sure she was unharmed. While she was amazingly brave and resilient (having seen it for himself firsthand) under normal circumstances, her pregnancy now made her vulnerable. And Miaka, being _Miaka_…he was relatively sure that she wasn't aware of her own delicate condition yet. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her or their child.

"…been up to over the last couple of years? Are you in London on business? How long will you be staying…?"

Reluctantly, Nicholas turned his attention back to the woman who was rumbling on and on, seemingly at the speed of sound. Yes, she was undeniably beautiful, the kind of woman any man would want to be seen with, but he felt nothing except impatience to be rid of her. "As much as I would like to catch up with you over dinner or coffee, I am afraid we are on a tight schedule," he slotted in with practiced ease, arranging his facial features into an appropriate expression of regret, "In a nutshell, I am now permanently based in Tokyo."

"In Japan? But I thought your company's corporate headquarters—" There was obvious surprise and confusion in her voice.

He didn't give her a chance to go on as he blithely continued, "My wife is very close to her family, and it is good that they are nearby, especially now that she is expecting our first child…"

Jeanette's mouth hung open quite comically for a moment as her gaze darted to the simple but elegant platinum wedding band on his left hand. "You're…married? C-congratulations!"

Inclining his head in acknowledgement, he allowed his lips to curve into a polite, gracious smile, "Thank you."

As calculated, his announcement brought a swift end to the encounter. Jeanette, with her enthusiasm visibly dampened, uncomfortably muttered an apology for keeping him from his "busy schedule" and hurriedly retreated.

* * *

Not for the first time, the young woman formerly known as the Suzaku no Miko soundly cursed Taiitsukun and Murphy's Law of Probability. Why was it that she always ended up encountering some form of misfortune every time she got sent into the Universe of Four Gods? Couldn't she have an uneventful trip to this place for once? _But of course_, she thought cynically, _there was no such thing as 'easy' or 'uncomplicated' when it comes to the world inside the Shijintenchisho. Which brings me back to my current situation… _

She was standing in a perfectly normal alley (it wasn't dark or dingy) being confronted by three men who were eyeing her like a slab of prime beef. They looked like thugs, and she knew that she looked like easy prey. Was this what had happened to Yui when she had been pulled into the Book? To add to her overall dismay, she found herself feeling distinctly queasy again. Maybe they'd leave her alone if she vomited all over them?

The men leered at her, and Miaka felt her skin crawl under their hungry gazes. She was no longer a naïve schoolgirl and there was no mistaking the vulgar intent in their faces. The mere thought of any other man besides her husband touching her in _that _way made her stomach want to turn itself inside out.

She'd grown so used to depending on Nakago, but he was not around to pull her hide out of the fire this time and she was going to have to have to handle the problem on her own. Besides, she was tougher than she looked. Between her fondness for watching pro-wrestling on television and the insufferable blonde jerk's ability to plan for hitherto unforeseen contingencies, Miaka liked to believe that she wasn't _completely_ defenceless. Anger surged through her at the fact that these perverts cornered helpless women; expecting their victims to be paralysed with fear and unable to fight back. As for being scared…these low-lifes did not frighten her all that much. She'd faced down (more than once) a certain blonde shogun, whose cold ruthlessness and complete disregard for human life had terrified her so much that her heart had almost stopped beating. Miaka snorted, _Then I went and married the evil, egoistic jerk, which doesn't say much about my taste in men…_

Drawing on a handy trick—one of many—that she had learned from the original Ice King himself, she pushed the nausea aside with grim determination. Delicate hands flexed, then curled into loose fists.

This ex-Miko was not going down without a fight.

_I will not lose!_

* * *

Having spent quite a bit of time in the United Kingdom a few years earlier, it was only natural that he would run into a few familiar faces while in the English capital.

By some nasty quirk of fate, it seemed that they were doomed to meet almost every single person he'd ever had any interaction with while he had been in London. Business acquaintances, ex-colleagues, and most unfortunately, yet another former girlfriend…throughout all the polite exchanges and vague promises to keep in touch, he ignored the Suzaku seishi's glowering presence until they were seated at a table in a quiet café which had once been a favourite of his.

"So..." the dark-haired musician drawled, once their drinks had been served, "I take it you've had quite a few girlfriends. They seem to keep getting underfoot...one on almost every street corner!" Sarcasm and malice dripped from every word.

Nicholas knew that the other man was just dying to pick a fight with him by finding fault in any way he could. He had to give credit to the former emperor though; the remark implied that Nicholas' past involved unsavoury female characters who stood on curbs and propositioned anything that wore trousers...for a fee, of course. As far as insults went, it was rather witty.

Lifting a blonde eyebrow at the pretty-boy pop idol he was being forced to keep company with, Nicholas smirked, "Jealous?" The quip was almost guaranteed to annoy Saihitei. All the Suzaku seishi were terribly predictable...

"Someone like Miaka deserves to come first!" Andy retorted indignantly, offended on his Miko's behalf. _And the bastard has the nerve to act as if it's something to be proud of!_ Who would want a husband whose list of ex-girlfriends was probably longer than the London Bridge?

The Seiryuu general regarded him unblinkingly for a heartbeat, the aristocratic, chiselled features betraying no reaction to Andy's accusatory outburst. Forcing himself not to look away, Andy glared right back in silent challenge. The clear, silver-streaked blue eyes had a disturbing, almost reptilian quality which made him suspect that Nakago had ice water running through his veins. Not for the first time, he wondered how Miaka could stand being married to someone so cold. His mind once again shied away from the thought of his priestess sharing any form of intimacy with the arrogant jerk. Andy forced his fists to slowly unclench..._No! I will not think of another man's wife in that manner! And especially not Miaka!_ In his mind, his Miko would forever remain sweet and pure.

"She does," his arch-nemesis said simply, jolting Andy out of his mental diatribe. For an instant, an odd expression flickered behind the coldly impenetrable mask.

The pop star sucked in a startled breath. He had not expected such a response from Nakago. More shocking was the brief flash of insight he had into the other man's mind, thanks to the sharp extra-sensory perception which had been one of Hotohori's hidden powers.

_First in his heart, first in his thoughts...Always._

Andy pursed his lips. Deep down, he knew that Nakago loved Miaka in his own unique way, but to be confronted with further evidence of it courtesy of Hotohori's own seishi abilities was not something that he welcomed. Neither was it something he wanted to examine too closely. He and Nakago would never be friends, and the only reason they tolerated each other's existence was because of a tiny hazel-eyed girl they both loved. _And while we are on the topic of Miaka…_

"Earlier, when you were talking to that brunette at Harrods…Was it really necessary to tell her such an outrageous lie?" Andy muttered irritably, voicing the thought that had been nagging at him for the better part of the last hour. While he didn't doubt that Nakago could twist any truth to suit whatever nefarious plot he was hatching, the tall-tale the man had shamelessly spouted had been unexpected.

Unperturbed, Nicholas took a mouthful of the rich dark ale in his glass, savouring the smooth, nutty flavour while purposely making the Suzaku seishi wait. He'd wondered how long it would take for Saihitei to catch on and bring it up. "I did not lie to her," he stated flatly, before replacing the glass carefully on the table.

The singer let out an inelegant snort. "Of course you did! You told the woman that your wife is expecting your first child…" Abruptly, the words trailed off as all the colour drained from the pop star's face. Clutching the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles showed white, Andy stared at his arch-enemy in horrified disbelief, "Miaka is…pregnant?"

Those three words nearly choked him. It was as if someone had violently pulled the rug out from under his feet and then gleefully stomped on his ribcage. The jealousy he knew that he had no right feeling almost overwhelmed him, and he barely restrained himself from leaping over the table and punching the smug blonde in the jaw. All this time, he had managed to keep telling himself that one day, Miaka would come to her senses and realise that Nakago wasn't the right one for her. When that day came, Andy would be there waiting patiently to pick up the pieces. However, the news that she was carrying the Seiryuu seishi's child changed everything. Making love to create a new life was perhaps the most intimate experience two people could share, and it forged an unbreakable bond between a man and a woman. Nakago had managed to have that with Miaka...and Andy deeply resented him for it. He mentally added this latest transgression to the long list of things he would never forgive the arrogant bastard for, including Hotohori's murder.

"Feel free to congratulate us," the blonde shogun drawled, "You are one of the first to know, _Saihitei_."

Andy ground his teeth together, trying to contain his fury at Nakago's subtle taunt. Expelling his breath in a sharp, frustrated hiss, he refused to let the aggravatingly self-assured dragon warrior push him into losing his temper. His beloved Miko would kill him if she ever found out that he had started a fight with the father of her baby. And then on the heels of that thought, a second realisation crashed over him…Miaka was _pregnant _and Taiitsukun had transported her to Suzaku-only-knew-where with neither of them there to protect her! Who knew what kind of danger she might be facing?

Resisting the urge to get up and pace, the former emperor forced himself to stay put. "We need to find Miaka! Why did that old witch send us all the way over here anyway? She said something about needing our help, but we can't do anything if we don't know what's going on!" He tried to focus on their biggest problem, raking a hand through his long hair.

It took him a moment to register that his usually stoic adversary was staring at him. Or more precisely, the unreadable arctic gaze seemed to pierce right though him. "I believe," the erstwhile leader of the Seiryuu seishi said dryly after the space of several heartbeats, "That your question is about to be answered." One hand gestured dismissively at a point directly behind Andy's head.

"What the—" Wondering if Nakago had finally lost it, Andy slowly swivelled around in his seat. There was a flat-screen television mounted behind the bar counter which he had not noticed when they had walked into the place. Although the sound had been turned down, the scrolling English text at the bottom of the screen announced that a breaking news report was being shown. As he watched in confusion, the camera zoomed in on a blue-haired man dressed—incongruously—in armour over traditional Chinese clothes…and clinging precariously to one of the steep conical turrets on top of London's famous Tower Bridge.

Although he had never actually seen this particular _person_ (he was using the term loosely) before, Andy had a pretty good idea as to who it was. Brows furrowed, he said tersely, "I suppose we have to go and _rescue_ him." Getting to his feet, he paused and looked down at the shogun in surprise when Nakago made no move to follow suit.

Instead, the infuriating blonde man leaned back in his chair and proceeded to calmly take a sip of his ale.

"Sit down and finish your drink, Saihitei," his most hated opponent suggested in response to his questioning glare. Eyes that had shifted to a colour that was unmistakably silver flicked up to regard Andy with more than a hint of morbid humour. The way Nakago's lips suddenly twisted into a chillingly ironic smirk would have sent even the most crazed of suicidal lunatics running for the hills. "We have time. After all, it is not as if Seiryuu Seikun is likely to go anywhere."

* * *

Following her across the city had been laughably easy; she had travelled in a relatively straight route, and he was just one step behind her. Of course, he could have caught up with her at any time, but he had been curious as to where she was headed.

She was close and seemed to have stopped in her tracks…in the alley just around the corner of the next building. There was no need for him to wonder why. He sensed three other life-forces closing in on her. Despite the fact that the location was very close to the town centre and there were frequent guard patrols throughout the city to discourage just this sort of thing from happening, crimes did still occur in broad daylight.

He felt yet another flare of the girl's distinctive chi, much stronger than that of an average person's. To anyone schooled in the art of reading chi, it conveyed a multitude of emotions: Determination, anger, an incredible strength of spirit…and something else. Something he could not quite identify at the moment but was confident that he would soon figure out. Stopping in front of the building, he considered how best to approach the situation. The most immediate option would be to step in and rescue her, but while he wanted her to be preferably undamaged, he was also wanted to know what she was capable of. Did she have any special powers?

Before he had any more time to formulate a strategy, a high-pitched scream split the air.

Swiftly scanning the rooftops above the alley, he willed himself there without a moment's hesitation, giving him a bird's eye view of what was happening in the narrow lane below. If things got ugly, he could always interrupt…

It seemed that there was indeed more to the girl than met the eye. Apparently, she had just successfully kneed one of the men in the groin, which had resulted in the scream earlier. The unfortunate male lay on the ground, curled into a pitiful ball and moaning in pain with his hands cupped protectively over the abused area. The other two thugs swore loudly and attempted to grab her, but she nimbly danced back out of reach. Undeterred, they jumped over their fallen comrade and rushed at her. Without warning, she feinted to the left, ducking under the hands that would have meant certain capture. The low position gave her the power to launch herself upwards in one smooth unbroken motion, her body uncoiling like a spring.

The heel of her palm made contact with the thug's face. Her attacker howled and staggered backwards into the one behind, blood spurting from his now broken nose.

The last man, larger and uglier than the other two, shoved his partner-in-crime aside and lunged at her, spewing threats and insults. In a sinuous move that was eerily familiar to him, she side-stepped the oncoming male without missing a beat. Nevertheless, the would-be rapist had either expected such a move or else he was quicker than anyone gave him credit for…and abruptly reached out, intending to catch hold of her arm in order to yank her off-balance.

And then, the observer on the rooftop saw it. Sparkling red chi, shimmering around the small petite form for a split-second, just long enough to form a psychic barrier that prevented the man from touching her. Red chi that could only be possessed by someone who belonged to Suzaku, the phoenix guardian of the south. The girl, however, did not seem to notice. With a surprisingly loud war cry from one so tiny, she executed a sharp, vicious kick to her opponent's lower back as the huge man stumbled past, right into the assailant's kidneys.

There wasn't much he could find to criticise about her technique. Being small in size, she lacked brute strength but made up for it with speed. From his vantage point, he could tell that someone had obviously taught her how to fight. _And fight dirty at that. Whatever it takes to win…interesting._ Whoever was her teacher had trained her well enough not to go for the usual soft tissue targets. But that wasn't what occupied most of his thoughts. His mind was still fully engaged with the discovery that she was connected to Suzaku in some way. Was she a Suzaku seishi? She didn't seem at all like a celestial warrior, and her chi felt…different from a warrior's. Softer and warmer, yet imbued with undeniable power. Which only left one other explanation…

_Priestess._

The ancient prophecies told of a girl from another world, who would summon the god to grant three wishes. By her clothes, and her chi, this little female seemed to fit the description. Except, for some reason, she had ended up in the wrong place.

She had straightened from her fighting stance now, and was beginning to dust herself off while muttering something to herself under her breath. As such, she did not notice Broken Nose creeping up behind her to exact some revenge for what she had done. Blood dripped down over the man's mouth and chin, but more than that, the thug was probably suffering from a badly bruised ego after having been bested by a woman half his size.

From his position on the roof, he decided that he had seen enough. With a slight flexing of willpower, he materialised behind the would-be attacker. The other two accomplices caught sight of him and went white with terror. Not waiting to find out what would happen to their ill-fated friend, they hastily picked themselves off the ground and tried to scramble away.

Bruised Kidneys and Kneed Crotch hadn't managed more than a few steps when he halted them with a thought even as he casually tapped Broken Nose on the shoulder. The thug spun around in surprise, the expression on his face transforming from irritation to horror as a strong gloved hand shot out and clamped securely around the fleshy throat. Lips parted in a gasp for help, but all that emerged was a strangled whimper, as the fingers steadily tightened, cutting off the air to the windpipe.

The girl turned around at the sound, and he got his first good look at her up close. A heart-shaped face with delicate elfin features and huge, luminous hazel eyes stared back at him in undisguised shock.

A few moments later, he cast aside the now-limp body.

"Na—…" her hands flew up to cover her mouth, as every scrap of colour seemed to drain from her already pale skin. For a moment, he could have sworn that she had been about to utter his name…his _seishi_ name. Did she somehow know who he was? But instead, she sucked in a deep breath and blurted out a confused-sounding, "N—Nani?" Her body seemed to have developed a fine tremor; the frozen expression on her face annoying him for some unknown reason.

Wordlessly, he turned away, partly to give her some time to compose herself, partly to deal with the men. Of all criminals, he despised those who preyed on women the most, and had no intention of showing any mercy. Besides, it was not in his nature to be merciful. Extending his hand, he prepared to send them to oblivion…

"Stop!"

He did not look at her as he replied, "If I let them go, they would continue targeting other women. Their next victim might not be as lucky as you." At his pronouncement, the two who had tried to run cried out in fear and renewed their struggles against the chi holding them captive. He tuned out their pleas; far more interested in how the girl would react. Was she a bleeding heart who would beg him to release them despite the fact that they had attacked her?

Footsteps approached slowly until she rounded him so that they now stood face to face. "Then by all means, punish them. Break a few bones if you want, but I'd rather not have their deaths on my conscience," she suggested quietly. Outwardly, she appeared to be just a year or two younger than his own twenty-four years, but there were hints of shadows lurking in her magnificent eyes; a sort of wary wisdom that came from having seen and experienced too much. She tilted her head up and held his cold gaze unflinchingly…something that not many people dared to do.

Before he could answer, she blinked a few times, gave him a tremulous smile, then swayed alarmingly on her feet.

He caught her as her legs buckled. The instant he touched her, he understood why one aspect of her chi had posed a mystery to him initially. There was another life-force closely entwined with hers. _Another life._ The girl was with child, altering his entire perception of her. Daring to go up against three opponents while pregnant…either she was very brave, or more likely, monumentally reckless and irresponsible. The fight had drained her physically, as had the burst of chi that she'd inadvertently used to create the barrier. Given her current condition, there was precious little of it she could afford to waste, as sustaining a developing foetus sapped a great deal of a woman's energy. Even now, her aura was diminished enough that it no longer masked the baby's presence. The chi emanating from the tiny life inside her womb gave him pause…it had a power signature as unique as its mother's, yet something about it was disturbingly familiar. But more than that, it felt…almost as if it was _reaching out_ to him.

Eyebrows drawing together slightly in a frown, he relegated the preposterous notion to the back of his mind. He had to be mistaken; such a thing was simply not possible. This discovery put paid to the theory that she was the Suzaku no Miko, or any other Miko, for that matter. A priestess had to be a virgin in order to summon the beast god…which this girl obviously was not. He felt vaguely disappointed that she wasn't going to be of use to him in the way he had first intended. Still, her strong connection to the phoenix god ensured that he would be keeping a close eye on her while he figured out how to turn it in his favour.

Cradling the unconscious young woman with one arm, he drew his sword with his free hand. They had lingered in this alley long enough. It was time he returned to the palace. But first, he would see to it that justice was served, and he had the perfect punishment in mind…

The pathetic excuses for human beings alternately screamed, cowered, and sobbed in pain as he pressed the tip of his blade against each of their faces. Within a matter of seconds, he'd swiftly carved, in stark, bloody characters, the words that would announce their crime to the world. The wounds would leave permanent scars, marking them for the rest of their lives. Had she been awake, the girl would probably have objected to his actions…Not that he particularly cared whether she approved or not.

Sweeping one last glance over the snivelling low-lifes, he issued a soft, deadly warning, "If you attempt to accost a woman again, I will know. And when I find you, I will separate you from the parts that make you men."

Sheathing his sword, he walked past them and out of the alley into the late afternoon sunshine.

Looking down at his troublesome new guest, Gi Ayuru, Shogun of two-thirds of Kutou's army, also known to a select few as Seiryuu no shichi seishi Nakago, reflected on how the girl seemed to be a bundle of mysteries. Judging from what he had read from her chi, she would not give up her secrets easily…which did not bother him in the least. He enjoyed a good challenge and unravelling her secrets one by one should prove highly interesting. For all the inconvenience that she had caused him thus far, it was only proper that she repaid him by providing him with some form of entertainment to pass the time until the Seiryuu no Miko showed up…

* * *

Notes:

1. So… (Crickets chirp in the silence)…what do you all think? I know many people expected Miaka to end up in the same place as Andy/Hotohori, but I rather liked the idea of the two men who can't stand each other appearing in a toilet cubicle together in present day London! (Alcestis chuckles evilly)

2. Our dear heroine (who still has no idea that she's pregnant), not only ends up inside the Universe of the Four Gods, but also in the past. And guess who she runs into? Extra points to all of you who correctly deduced that it was Nakago who was watching and following her. I deliberately chose not to reveal who the mysterious observer was until the last paragraph, but I still couldn't resist dropping hints all the way.

3. And yes, he is a slightly younger (but no less devious) version of the evil shogun we see in the series. The timeline here is roughly about a year before Nakago meets the teenaged Mikos for the first time. In the next chapter, there will be a further explanation on timelines, paradoxes, and why Nicholas in the present has no recollection of this encounter in his past life as Nakago.

4. In case you were wondering, Nicholas has taught Miaka how to fight. Miaka is a walking trouble magnet. Nicholas knows this and wanted to make sure that she would be able to defend herself. I was hinting at this when Miaka refers to "the insufferable blonde jerk's ability to plan for hitherto unforeseen contingencies" and when she "felt bruised all over, like the first few times she and Nakago had—…He certainly hadn't gone easy on her because she was a beginner". If any of you thought that she was referring to something else (ahem), please get your mind out of the gutter. This IS a PG-13 rated fic.

5. I have a peculiar fondness for using characters that don't get much airtime in the anime series or manga. In this story, that would be Seiryuu Seikun, who is currently stuck on top of the Tower Bridge and waiting for it's chief seishi to come to the rescue…


	3. The Sum Of All Parts

**Chapter 3: The Sum Of All Parts**

For the second time in just as many days, Miaka swam up from the dark, inky abyss into awareness. The first thing she noticed was that she was on a bed in an unfamiliar room. _At least this beats waking up on the ground… _her annoying mental voice pointed out matter-of-factly. Memories of what had happened before she had passed out flooded back and she covered her face with her hands, forcing herself to breathe normally while counting to twenty. The alternative would have been for her to begin freaking out and start hyperventilating. That certainly would not help in solving anything, and now, more than ever, she needed to be able to think clearly.

It was all like a really bad dream, except Miaka knew from experience that she could not simply wake up from this particular nightmare. _Oh my god…Nakago! _She wished that there was a likelihood that she could have been wrong, but she would just be fooling herself. It had indeed been Nakago, but not the one she was married to. The blonde man who had rescued her from a potentially sticky situation in that alley had appeared to be a slightly younger version of her husband. Nevertheless, that had not been what clued her almost instantly to the fact that he wasn't quite the person she'd been searching for…

The armour and the long hair had been a dead giveaway. He looked exactly as he had when they had still been enemies.

A memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago surfaced in her mind, and it finally occurred to her why she had felt such a strong sense of having experienced something similar previously when she had passed through the city gates…She had come to Kutou in search of Yui, and it had been at that precise spot that she had met the Seiryuu general for the very first time.

Knowing the way in which Taiitsukun and Fate worked (having been on the receiving end of their schemes multiple times), it was probably no mistake that she had run into Nakago, or rather, that _he_ had found _her. _

_Your chi flares up when you get angry. I'll be able to find you, even in a crowd._ Miaka shivered as the disturbing words he'd said on their first official date came back to haunt her. On hindsight, it wasn't surprising at all that the blonde shogun had sensed her presence…he had probably known she was there the minute she set foot inside the city.

_I'm in Kutou, but when…? _It was quite obvious that she had been flung backwards in time…but at what point of the past? Was the teenaged Yui already somewhere in the palace even now? Nakago had not seemed to recognise her, and she knew that her outward appearance hadn't changed all that much (except that she was a little taller, no longer wore her hair up in odangos, and was a bra-cup size larger…not that _this_ Nakago had any business looking at her chest!), so that implied that he had not yet met her fifteen-year-old self. It narrowed the possibilities a little, but still left a rather long time-frame. _What was that ugly old witch even thinking, dropping me here? _Upon seeing him in the alley, she'd almost called him by name…luckily, she'd been fast enough to cover up that small slip of the tongue. Even then, she was sure the Seiryuu general had suspected something. With the level of mastery he had achieved at reading chi, she was betting that he already knew of her association with Suzaku.

By even being here, wasn't there the danger of her messing up the past and therefore altering the future? The questions circled endlessly in her mind, as she slowly sat up.

There wasn't any dizziness or nausea accompanying her actions this time, and she sent up a small prayer of thanks to whichever god it was that presided over gastric problems and hangovers. The room was luxuriously appointed and rays of late morning sun slanted in through the open windows. The light gleamed off her wedding band and the sparkling diamond solitaire of the ring Nakago had given her to seal their engagement. The sweet, poignant memory of how he had presented her with it never failed to cheer her up. It had been the day after they had first consummated their relationship… and despite her protests, Nakago had literally hustled her to a well-known jeweller to pick out a ring. She had been blushing furiously, convinced that everybody in the exclusive store would take one look at her and guess what she had been up to with the handsome blonde _gaijin_! Especially since her gait had been a little unsteady due to the unfamiliar—but not completely unpleasant—soreness in certain intimate parts of her anatomy that were still tender from his loving…

When a selection of engagement rings had been set out for her to choose from, a surreptitious glance at the prices had almost sent Miaka bolting back out the door. However, having predicted what she had been about to do, her new fiancé had clamped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him with heart-stopping suddenness. Before she even had a chance to react, Nakago had kissed her deeply, right there in the middle of the store in front of everyone, until her knees had turned to jelly. Dazed from the sensual pleasure flooding her senses, she had not realised that the conniving Seiryuu seishi had slipped a beautiful ring onto her finger during their passionate (and very public) encounter…until he had flashed a bone-meltingly sexy smirk at the swooning store assistant hovering nearby and announced in his usual calm manner that they would be taking the ring.

Clasping the rings tightly and bringing them up to her lips, Miaka squeezed her eyes shut as she sent out a silent plea through the special private bond she shared with her husband, _I wish you were here with me, Nakago… _

As if in direct response to her thoughts, the door suddenly opened and the blonde shogun—but sadly not the one she wanted to see—strode in accompanied by an old man with a white beard. Eyes widening, she gripped the sheet and tried to scoot backwards as far as she could as the elderly gentleman approached her.

"The physician will examine you," Nakago informed her without preamble, delivering his statement with the arrogance of one used to being obeyed instantly.

Hands digging into the bedding in resentment at the high-handed manner of her questionable knight-in-shining-armour, she gritted her teeth and pasted a tight smile across her face, "I'm fine, there's really no need for a doctor."

The same enigmatic silver-blue eyes which she had grown to love now sliced into her with lofty disdain, "You fainted yesterday," he pointed out with a touch of condescension, as though speaking to a small, dim-witted child.

The physician cleared his throat nervously as he looked from one party to the other. "Shogun-sama, perhaps the lady would be more comfortable if you waited outside while—" The old doctor visibly blanched when he was subjected to an impassive stare, and hastily amended, "—Or maybe not."

Not wishing to get the old man in trouble, Miaka reluctantly submitted to the doctor's inspection, extending her wrist for her pulse to be measured. With a frown, she answered the physician's questions about her recent bouts of dizziness and nausea, while resolutely ignoring the unnatural stillness of the presence a short distance away. When she was asked to lie back on the bed as the doctor gently pressed her abdomen in different places with an intense look of concentration on his age-lined face, she pursed her mouth shut against the objection that was on the tip of her tongue. She knew Nakago would not hesitate to punish an innocent man just to ensure her cooperation.

Once the entire sequence of poking and prodding was over, she lifted herself to glower at the ominously silent spectre from the past who was currently leaning against the opposite wall with his arms folded. He met her angry gaze with a bland, dispassionate one of his own.

He did not blink.

Neither did she.

"My lady…" A fine film of sweat had formed on the old doctor's brow, as he tried to break the palpable tension which had filled the air. He wondered what was going on between the feisty young woman on the bed and the blonde shogun whose terrifying reputation was well-known by many in the palace. More than that, he wondered if he was going to make it out of this situation alive. "My lady," he repeated once again, this time getting her attention before he continued, "You are in perfect health…"

"I told you that I was fine," the pretty russet-haired girl huffed indignantly, her comment deliberately pitched loud enough for everyone in the room—as well as the corridor outside—to hear.

"…except that you must take care not to over-strain yourself in the next few months. Stress is not good for the baby," the doctor finished in as neutral a tone as possible.

She froze. "Not good for the…baby?" she repeated slowly, her voice trembled on the last word as her big hazel eyes reflected mingled joy and surprise as clearly as a mirror, "I'm…pregnant?"

Nakago pushed himself away from the wall, his movements fluid and jungle-cat graceful in spite of the heavy armour he wore. "You did not know?" he enquired, the familiar expressionless mask firmly in place although everything in his manner suggested that he thought that she was lying.

Her hands automatically moved to rest protectively over her stomach, "No! If I had known, I would not have…taken such a risk." Guilt that she had recklessly endangered the precious new life she and her husband had created together shook her all the way to the core. To her horror, she felt hot tears of remorse and shock welling up, but she willed them back, refusing to cry in front of _him_. This Nakago must think that she was either an idiot or a bare-faced liar. How _did_ one manage to miss all the signs of pregnancy? He did not need to say it aloud, but she'd had enough experience dealing with his reincarnated alter-ego to hazard a good guess at what he was thinking. When she lifted her head to meet the cold regard in those glacier-pale eyes, she made sure to glare right back defiantly, "I'm keeping this baby!" she told him fiercely.

He did not respond immediately. Like the feline predator he was so similar to, he watched her, biding his time. He was probably cataloguing her every word and reaction somewhere in that highly intelligent but warped mind of his…and patiently waiting for a weakness to present itself before he pounced.

The palace physician, seeing his chance to escape, bowed to Nakago, then to her. "I shall order a special strengthening tonic to be made for you. Drink it at night before sleeping and in the morning. It will also help to dispel the morning sickness." With that, he hurriedly backed out the doorway. For a person of advanced years, he moved surprisingly fast. Miaka could have sworn she caught a look of sympathy directed at her as the old man fled.

The physician's retreating footsteps had barely faded away when two servants entered and began setting out a veritable feast on the ornately carved wooden table in the centre of the room. They worked quietly and efficiently, leaving as quickly as they had entered. It wasn't long before the delicious smell of the food made Miaka's mouth water, reminding her that she had not eaten since she had been transported into the Shijintenchisho. She swallowed hard, and climbed out of bed. Stiffening her spine, she stood as tall as she could under the weight of her host's scrutiny.

Forcing a cheerful note into her voice, she turned her back on the tempting meal—and him—and made her way purposefully towards the entrance, "I appreciate all your help, but I really must get going…"

The doors swung shut as though by a strong invisible wind as she reached them, cutting off the only exit. She did not need to look at him to know that he had used his powers to trap her here.

"Open the doors…_please_," she gritted out, her hackles rising when she heard the soft but unmistakable sound of wood scraping against the floor tiles. Trying to pull the doors open would be a waste of effort, as this Nakago was obviously in full possession of all his seishi powers and she understood him well enough to realise that he would not release the doors until he had whatever he wanted. She slowly turned around to face him again, only to find him standing beside the table, having pulled the chair out for her in an apparently gentlemanly gesture.

Miaka inhaled sharply. It felt like the scene from inside his tent in Hokkan was replaying itself all over again. Oh, she firmly believed that no matter how cold-blooded and immoral Nakago was, he would not hurt her physically in her current condition (at least until he figured out how to turn her presence to his best advantage), but that did not curb the wariness that the former priestess knew she needed to maintain while dealing with the undisputed leader of the Seiryuu seishi.

A sardonic smile curved his lips, "Do stay for lunch, my lady," he invited with nerve-grating politeness, inclining his head in courtly manner that mocked her with its insincerity.

The irony of the situation was not lost on her. It was not as if she had any choice in the matter, and she was certain that Nakago was merely toying with her for his own amusement. Not that her traitorous stomach cared about such things, as it betrayed her with a loud growl of hunger. She could feel the mortified colour creeping over her cheeks and tried to look as casual as possible given the circumstances.

Arching a blonde eyebrow, he added smoothly, "Besides, you need to think of the child you are carrying. You are eating for two now."

_Checkmate._

_That devious, manipulative jerk! _she thought heatedly, stalking across the room to the table. He had shrewdly uttered the only possible words that could have convinced her sit down. Picking up the lacquered chopsticks, she aimed a baleful glare at him over the rim of the fine porcelain rice bowl and helped herself to the food. He settled elegantly on the seat across from her; the intensity of his observation unnerving enough to give a normal person indigestion. Fortunately, Miaka was far too absorbed in making sure that she did not choke on a shrimp dumpling and mentally revising her strategy to really notice.

It was clear that Nakago was not about to just let her go, and she was as safe (or in as much danger, depending on one's point of view) at the palace as she would be anywhere else. Given that Nakago was here in Kutou at this point in time, then the rest of the Suzaku seishi would surely be somewhere in Konan. And as much as she wanted to see Nuriko and the others again, the eccentric overseer of the Universe of the Four Gods had transported her _here_, which meant that she was in Kutou for a reason. _If only that crazy old coot had bothered to mention what that reason was! _The only logical thing she could assume now was that whatever she did here would have repercussions on the future and her instincts urged her to keep her true identity a secret from Nakago. Miaka didn't need to be an expert in time-travel theory to understand that revealing her knowledge of the future would go over like a big, black lead balloon with Taiitsukun and just about every god out there. _Right. All I have to do is to keep him from finding out who I am, while simultaneously trying to figure out why I'm here and how to get back home, without changing the way things are supposed to turn out_. _That should be a piece of cake. While I'm at it, I think I'll teach myself to speak Russian, you know, in case I get bored… _The internal tirade was punctuated with an acerbic mental snort.

She had to choose her battles carefully and only take on the ones she could win. It did not help that she was playing against a master strategist, but sharing bed and board (she winced inwardly at the unfortunate phrase) with his future self had taught her a thing or three.

It was not until she had polished off the last of the rice and put down her bowl and chopsticks that he finally chose to begin the interrogation that she had been expecting from the moment he had showed up. Any unflattering remarks about the amount of food she had eaten (along with snide references to bottomless pits) went unsaid. For now.

"I was remiss in not introducing myself sooner. You may address me as Ayuru."

If she had to use a flavour to describe his voice, it would be velvety dark chocolate with a swirl of rich coffee cream. Miaka had to steel herself against the lure of it, because he sounded so similar to the man she loved that she felt the ache of longing tugging at her heart. _Dear Suzaku, it has been only about a day, but I miss him already…_She tried her best not to react, so as not to give the Seiryuu general any more ammunition to use against her. To add to the already difficult state of affairs, he had called himself Ayuru, not Nakago. That made things harder; she would have to make sure not to slip up by using his other name…the name that she was so used to. Trying to look blasé about the fact that she was about to embark on a campaign to deliberately mislead her future husband, she crossed her fingers beneath the table, "Yuki…" she offered reluctantly, "My name is Yuki."

Never before had her name sounded so alien coming from her own lips. A tremor of unease slid down her spine. It was _not_ a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. There was no way he could know that, unless Nakago had the power to read minds…

"Yuki…As in snow?" Pale blue eyes narrowed, pinning her with a thoughtful look that seemed to suggest that he was about to go poking around in every nook and cranny of her soul. "Somehow that does not seem to suit you," her blonde opponent did not take his gaze off her as he moved to stand beside her chair. Without warning, he reached out and cupped her jaw, forcing her to tilt her head up. "No, not snow…" he spoke with supreme certainty, "Yuuki, as in Courage."

She stared at him, aghast at his insight. He was _very_ good…even without knowing her, he had correctly guessed her name. Despite locking away his own emotions, Nakago was an excellent judge of character and an expert in human nature. _That's how he managed to predict every move made by the Suzaku Seishi! _"You sound like you're naming a pet," she shot back peevishly, deciding that it was in her best interest to quickly move the conversation forward. Miaka did not try to shake off his hold, but instead lifted her chin even higher in a challenge.

"But I am not wrong." It was phrased as a statement, not a question.

She dutifully subdued the urge to roll her eyes. "Fine. Whatever floats your boat, _Shogun-sama,_" she told him in a saccharine sweet voice.

He released her, but did not move away. "Why are you in Kutou?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, although she doubted he appreciated her truthfulness in this instance.

True to form, he did not show any anger at her seemingly uncooperative reply. That was the problem with Nakago…there was nothing to warn of impending doom until it literally had a stranglehold around your throat and choked the life out of you!

Abruptly, he planted a hand on the table, startling her, and leaned down until his face was inches from hers, deliberately invading her personal space. "Let's try again," he enunciated very evenly in a manner that was menacing enough to give her the chills (and she had _a lot_ of experience dealing with the Seiryuu shogun at his most intimidating), "Where are you from? You have a strong connection to the beast god Suzaku, yet you are neither Miko nor seishi. I want to know how that is possible."

Endeavouring to project an outward appearance of bored innocence, she shrugged nonchalantly, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Instead of pressing her further, he stepped back and walked to the door, "You do not fear me when you should, Lady Yuuki. Keep in mind that there is a difference between bravery and blind stupidity," he paused, the deep timbre of his voice lowering an octave at his next words, "I will find out the truth eventually using whatever means necessary." The room was large and a distance of at least ten feet lay between them, but she registered the threat loud and clear.

Her spine was ramrod straight as she clasped her hands together in front of her, resting them on the table. "Do what you must…" she said with the quiet dignity befitting one who had been Suzaku's chosen priestess, "As I shall do what I must."

Nakago gave a single stiff nod, wordlessly acknowledging her sentiments. For a second, she thought she detected the faint expression of grudging respect slide across his cold, perfect features, but it was gone the next instant…

…And so, was he.

* * *

By the time Nicholas and Andy arrived at the Tower Bridge, there was a large crowd gathered, watching the proceedings. There were speculations amongst the onlookers about whether the man on top of the bridge was engaged in a publicity stunt or an attempt at suicide. They even overheard a rumour involving blue spray paint, a drunken bet and a suit of armour stolen from the British Museum.

They steered clear of the throng of people on the bridge, making their way to the river embankment immediately adjacent to it.

"I do not sense Seiryuu's powers. It would seem that he is… somewhat human at the moment," Nakago said aloud in the kind of tone other people used when discussing the weather. Or when talking about office carpeting.

The Suzaku seishi squinted up at the being that they were supposed to be rescuing before slanting an annoyed glare at his nemesis. "Now what? How are we going to get him down anyway? It's not as if we can waltz over there and help him down from the damned roof!"

If he had expected a reaction in response to his belligerent outburst, he was to be sorely disappointed… His so-called 'partner' was not paying any heed to anything except the murky water of the River Thames flowing under the bridge. Aware that the river water in itself should not be fascinating enough to warrant such intense concentration, Andy had the uncomfortable premonition that he wasn't going to like whatever diabolical scheme that was unfurling inside that blonde head, although not so much as a frown marred the Nakago's chiselled features. He was sure that even now, there was some sort of master plan already in play. Instead of heading straight here after leaving the café, the former Seiryuu seishi made a surprising detour and had calmly proceeded to secure a suite of rooms at an exclusive hotel nearby…

His thoughts screeched to a halt when silver-blue eyes turned on him, "I assume you still have your seishi abilities?"

"What?" Caught off guard, the singer blinked in confusion, but was quick to rally his wits about him. "I don't see how sword mastery is going to help." Andy was sceptical and regarded his long-time foe with an irritated look that clearly expressed his doubts about them pulling off their task successfully.

Another person would have thrown up their hands in exasperation. Instead, Nicholas suppressed it with the ease of long practice and merely gazed coolly back at the younger man. He often wondered why Miaka held such a high opinion of Saihitei and why she insisted on defending the pretty boy pop star at every turn. Then again, how his sweet, compassionate wife had managed to fall in love someone who richly deserved her everlasting hatred still mystified him as well. _Focus, _he chided himself sternly. The sooner they got the trouble-making dragon god down, the faster they could get some much-needed answers and find Miaka.

"I was referring to your ability to create a protective bubble with your chi," he elaborated dryly while maintaining an iron grip on his fraying temper. Contrary to what some people thought, he was not without feelings…he simply chose not to show them. The Suzaku seishi's constant petulance was enough to test the patience of a Buddha and it was seriously beginning to get on his nerves. So far, the only thing royal about the former emperor of Konan was that Saihitei was proving to be a royal pain in the ass. For the twenty-third time that day, Nicholas inwardly damned Taiitsukun for teaming him up with the Suzaku swordsman-turned-entertainer. Not that he was keeping count...

Topaz gold eyes widened in stunned astonishment, "How did you…? I only used it once, when—"

"—when the Suzaku no Miko nearly drowned in your palace lake, after Tamahome broke her arm in Kutou. I know," the erstwhile shogun interrupted brusquely. _I was so blinded by hate that I crossed too many lines which should never have been crossed. She was little more than a child at the time, and I came so close to… _He could have snuffed out her fragile life in any one of a dozen different instances. The sick realisation that he could easily have lost Miaka forever, before he'd truly come to know her, caused his stomach to clench. The mere thought of her in pain now was enough to ice the small of his back in cold sweat, for he could not imagine facing a future without her. A long time ago, he had blithely told a certain miko that her dead boyfriend would move heaven and earth to be back by her side. It wasn't quite so amusing now, when he found himself wanting to do exactly the same thing; to hell with the consequences. Reminding himself where he was and with whom, he forcefully rammed the lid back onto the seething cauldron of emotions. "Knowledge is power after all," he drolly tossed the words out for good measure. No need to let the musically-inclined idiot in on how dangerously thin the ice surrounding his composure really was.

Andy exhaled harshly, "I won't ask how you found out about that," he clipped out, each word so short that he almost bit off his own tongue. Taking a few seconds to regain control, he turned his focus inward, searching for that special place where the emperor from a past life still resided within him. Gradually, a miniature crimson sphere shimmered into existence in the space between them. He felt the former shogun test it with a small but powerful burst of sapphire-coloured chi, in order to ascertain that it was stable enough for their purposes. Every muscle in his body tensed as he willed it to hold steady, privately awed at how strong Nakago still was despite being reincarnated as a person in this world. The tiny barrier pulsed several times, but did not collapse in on itself. At the blonde man's curt nod, he cut the flow of life-force, watching as the glowing orb winked out. With a resigned sigh, he finally gave in to curiosity, "So you have a plan?"

"Of course."

A few minutes later, even Andy was forced to concede that the arrogant bastard's proposed course of action was a stroke of twisted genius. Not only did it promise to get the job done, it did not involve any wilful destruction of public property nor did it endanger anyone's life (except maybe Seiryuu's).

When Nakago held out a hand for pen and paper, Andy made a face and produced the requested items without comment. The blonde general regarded him with an expression of faintly mocking amusement, as if able to read the question which was at the forefront of his mind: _How on earth did the insufferable guy know that I always have a notepad with me?_

"You write songs. I merely assumed that you do not get to choose when and where inspiration strikes." For once, the Walking Ice Block actually volunteered the answer before he could ask, displaying the unsettling knack of accurately guessing what other people were thinking. It creeped Andy out and he was sure a nerve twitched in his temple, giving him away. He opened his mouth to say something, but the blonde man silenced him with an impatient look, "Save your breath and ready yourself. We only get one shot at this."

As Nicholas composed a short, concise message informing his former patron god of their plan, he kept an eye on Miaka's pet. The celebrity pop star had seated himself quietly on a nearby bench; forearms braced on knees, wisps of long dark hair spilling forward to hide his face. The Suzaku seishi might annoy him, but Saihitei was far from stupid, and knew when to take good advice when it was given. Under all the bluster and animosity, they shared the common understanding of how critical it was to ensure that they got Seiryuu down in one piece.

Tearing the page off the notepad, he took a moment to centre himself, putting all unnecessary thoughts out of his mind. Willing his chi to surround the single scrap of paper, he sent it up into the sky with the wind to aid it on its way. Once it reached the top of the Tower Bridge, he knew that it would be too small for the crowd of onlookers below to notice. Of course, he would make sure that Seiryuu would not miss it…

With grim satisfaction, Nicholas used his powers to plaster the paper right over the dragon god's face. A small revenge for what Seiryuu had done to him and Miaka in the past. A corner of his mouth lifted in a minuscule smirk as he purposely made it a little difficult for the god to peel the message off, but once he felt the blue-haired being take hold of the paper, he released his control over it.

Hearing the crunch of loose gravel, he turned to find the musician standing behind him. Something had changed…or perhaps _shifted_ was a more appropriate word. There was a sombre strength radiating from the Suzaku seishi which had been absent before, and the soul that looked out from those golden eyes was that of the emperor he had once faced on the battlefield. A worthy adversary. This was Hotohori, not Andy. _Well done, Saihitei, _he thought, allowing himself to slip into his own past persona.

The shogun regarded the emperor impassively, "Ready?"

Hotohori met the steel-blue stare levelly, "Whenever you are, _Nakago-san,_" he said with stiff formality.

Without further ado, Nakago formed a large ball of chi and directed it with unerring accuracy at a specific point under the bridge, detonating the massive amount of energy below the water's surface. The explosion threw up an immense wall of water that sent the crowd into panicked chaos. People scattered in every direction, running for cover as what seemed like tons of river water rained down on them. In the ensuing confusion, no one noticed the blue-haired man letting go of the turret and stepping off the roof into space…

As Seiryuu plummeted towards the Thames in rapid free-fall, not one, but two chi barriers shimmered around him. The blue-tinged outer barrier disintegrated as he hit the river, absorbing the brunt of the impact so that the second barrier continued to hold steady, shielding him in a crimson protective bubble as he sunk underwater.

Hotohori could feel a drop of sweat trickling down the side of his face as he channelled more energy to bring Seiryuu to the embankment where they were standing. Mouth flattened into a grim line, he hauled the glowing man-sized sphere clear of the water as quickly as possible, aware that someone might see what they were doing. The instant the chi bubble passed over the safety railings, he hastily dissolved it, releasing the dragon god inside.

His legs refused to support his weight and he landed hard on his knees, gasping for breath. He felt drained, both physically and mentally, and slightly nauseous. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Nakago was not faring any better. Although the former shogun remained standing, he was leaning against the metal railings, his skin noticeably paler than usual. Given the amount of chi needed to blow up half the river and cast the additional layer of shielding around Seiryuu seikun to reinforce Hotohori's own barrier…Andy guessed that the blonde man must be damned near tapped out. Much to his dismay, he found that it was hard not to respect the Walking Icicle; both for the bastard's ability to pull together airtight (or in this case, watertight) plans at a moment's notice, and for the fact that his arch-nemesis apparently did not believe in doing anything by halves.

And as for the being they had just saved…

Seiryuu stood and coolly dusted a speck of imaginary lint off his armour. "That was wholly unpleasant," the dragon god declared with a disgusted sniff, "Not the best performance I've ever seen, but I guess you really could not help it, being Suzaku's seishi and all."

Andy wondered if Nakago would stop him if he tried to throttle the dragon god. He also began to fear for his blood pressure now he had to put up with both Seiryuu seikun _and_ Nakago.

"We can continue this discussion at the hotel," the blonde shogun cut in tersely, not taking his eyes off his former master. Shrugging out of his jacket, he tossed it at Seiryuu, "Take off your armour and put this on. You cannot afford to be recognised after the scene you just caused on top of the Tower Bridge."

"If circumstances were different, I would kill you where you stand for such insolence. Don't presume to order me around, _mortal_," the blue-haired god sneered as he caught the clothing.

Nicholas arched an eyebrow at Seiryuu's choice of words. "Funny, you seem to be similarly afflicted with an unfortunate case of mortality at the moment as well," he countered in a flat voice, leaving the implications hanging unsaid in the air.

Spitting out a slew of foul ancient curses under his breath, Seiryuu angrily undid the armour, weapons and long outer-tunic with jerky movements before slinging on the jacket. Bundling everything up under one arm, the one-time immortal glared at both of them.

While the Suzaku emperor was only too glad to return the favour, Nicholas turned on his heel and started back towards the hotel. He wasn't interested in wasting time trading petty insults. There was something major underway, and he wanted to know what it was. He would drag the entire truth out of the surly blue-haired deity if it was the last thing he did.

First the old hag's dire message; then Saihitei and himself being sent here; now Seiryuu turning up as a human…_There is no such thing as a coincidence when it involves the Universe of the Four Gods._

He was fairly certain that the dragon god knew—or at least had some clues to—where Taiitsukun had sent Miaka. Wherever she was, he would find his wife and bring her back. Curling his left hand into a fist, he felt the metal of his ring pressing into his flesh. The symbol of his commitment to her. On the day of their wedding, in the last rays of the setting sun, he had promised to love, honour and protect her for as long as they both lived. Nicholas had no intention of breaking any of those vows. She was his, and he wasn't going to let anyone take her from him. Not now, not ever. _Wait for me, Koishii. I will come for you. I swear it._

And if Miaka was hurt as a result of whatever game the Gods were playing, there would be hell to pay.

* * *

The three of them walked through the hotel's vast lobby, unmindful of the admiring and curious stares they were drawing from the other guests. The women they passed whispered and giggled to each other; _which one was the most handsome? _Was it the elegantly-built Asian one with the exotic tawny golden eyes and long silky dark hair? Or the tall blonde one with the aristocratic good looks, whose eyes were the mysterious silvery-blue of a secluded lake at first light? Maybe it was the man who was flanked by the other two, with his unconventional colouring and brooding, otherworldly beauty?

All too soon, the three males arrived at the far end of the room and stepped into an elevator before a general consensus could be reached. Their captivated audience heaved a collective sigh of disappointment at the loss of the spectacular view.

Andy fixed his gaze determinedly on the electronic panel above the elevator doors, watching the numbers as they ascended to the suite that Nakago had arranged before they had gone to rescue Seiryuu. Immensely relieved that no one had chosen to speak since they had left the riverbank, he would have been even more happy if he had been left out of this little—potentially explosive—reunion between the pompous beast god and its equally supercilious chief seishi.

Nicholas led the way to the room, silently opening the door with the key card. The suite he had procured had two bedrooms and a lounge with a comfortable couch and several armchairs. Without a word, Seiryuu brushed past him, strolling to the bank of windows to take in the grand view of the city. Saihitei reluctantly followed, but opted to seat himself heavily in one of the armchairs around the stylish glass-topped coffee table.

Propping a hip against the back of the couch, Nicholas folded his arms. "Where is she?" he asked abruptly into the tense stillness. The walk to the hotel had helped him to work off most of the inconvenient surge of sexual arousal which always occurred after any extensive use of his chi…not that he had much trouble suppressing it. Only being with Miaka could satisfy his needs; no other woman would do…the thought of touching anyone else intimately held as much appeal as having a limb amputated without anaesthetic. Once the volatile chemical cocktail from the adrenalin drained out of his system however, his senses would simply shut down and sleep would claim him, whether he wanted it or not. For the moment, his need to know what had happened to his wife overrode his body's natural demands.

The (former) dragon god turned leisurely, regarding its most powerful seishi with derision painted on the deceptively human face. "Ah, I assume you mean that overgrown chicken's pretty Miko…or shall I say _ex-Miko _now?" Seiryuu suggested with a lewd gleam in the pale turquoise eyes, "That bratty, naïve child has certainly turned out to be a sexy little thing under your expert tutelage." The amusement vanished as quickly as it had appeared, "Had I foreseen how she would cause you to turn against me, I would have ordered you to kill her right from the beginning." A piercing stare was directed straight at Nakago, "Back then, you would have obeyed my command without question."

Andy's hands balled into tight fists, exerting a great deal of effort not to spring out of the chair and punch the living daylights out of the blue-haired being, "He could've tried to his heart's content, the Suzaku seishi would have stopped him!"

Nakago did not react visibly to either comment, "I am only going to repeat this one more time. Where is she?" The tone of the blonde general's voice was dangerously quiet and cold enough to freeze a polar bear on its tracks.

"Or else what? You'll—"

Seiryuu seikun's next words were cut off when the god found himself slammed backwards and pinned against the wall. Andy blinked, wondering if his eyes had deceived him; then realised that his mouth was hanging open in a most undignified manner and snapped his jaw shut…Nakago had moved so quickly that the god of war had not had a chance to react.

"You won't kill me," the god said complacently, lips curling into a reptilian smirk.

The shogun did not let up his hold, instead, he leaned in, putting more weight behind the elbow that was jammed against Seiryuu's neck, just under the chin . "No, I will not kill you," Nakago agreed amiably, "But I can promise to make your time in human form less than pleasant…" A smirk eerily identical to the dragon deity's curved the blonde man's mouth, "And I will tear the Universe of the Four Gods apart until I find her."

_Nobody_, the Chinese pop star decided, _does threats quite as well as Nakago. _And there was no doubt that the smoothly delivered promise would be carried out in a very thorough fashion. The erstwhile leader of the Seiryuu shichi seishi would stop at nothing to retrieve the woman he loved, and anyone who got in the way would be summarily eliminated. Andy still didn't like or trust his arch-enemy, but he did understand how the man felt. Besides being one of Miaka's seishi, he was also someone who cared deeply for her first and foremost. Crossing his long legs languidly, he looked up and caught the dragon god's gaze, "I'll do whatever it takes to get Miaka back. So I guess I'll be helping him," the Suzaku emperor warned grimly.

A sound somewhere between a wheezing cough and a snort of disgust emerged from Seiryuu, "Alright already, I get the message," he spat out hoarsely, "I'll tell you where she is, just let go!"

Nicholas held the god-turned-human to the wall a few seconds longer than was strictly necessary before stepping back and turning away. The loss of chi from earlier was already beginning to take a heavy toll. In addition, the move he'd pulled on Seiryuu had dipped into his already low energy reserves…If he wasn't careful, he would pass out while standing. Since showing any weakness in front of the dragon deity was not an option, he lowered himself onto the couch and forced his tense muscles to relax in order to conserve strength.

The blue-haired man rubbed at his throat and speared Nicholas and Andy with a poisonous glare, "Taiitsukun sent her backwards in time, before it all began. To the safest place possible…" Suddenly, as though highly amused by a joke only he was privy to, a raspy chuckle issued from Seiryuu as he levelled a finger at his own seishi, "She sent her to _you_."

"_WHAT?!_" the musician exploded in disbelief, leaping to his feet, "Why would that ugly old hag do that? _And how on earth can he be considered safe?"_

Ignoring the interruption, Seiryuu did not break eye contact with Nicholas. Dropping the jovial façade, the god's mien turned deadly serious, "Tenkou had been amassing support in the underworld before he was sealed, promising to free them from their confinement and a place in his new world order. In return, they were to aid him when the time came for him to wage war against Taiitsukun and the Four Gods. We thought that once Tenkou was gone, whatever movement he had started would naturally collapse as demons are not known for their ability to cooperate with each other."

"And they have proved you wrong," Nicholas remarked neutrally, his voice betraying none of his thoughts. He had his burning questions regarding why Miaka had been sent back into the past, but now that Seiryuu was talking, he also knew that the deity would not tell them anything unless it was of critical importance.

For an instant, the dragon guardian winced ever so slightly, before coolly resuming his monologue, "One of the demons that Tenkou formed an alliance with, known as Kokabiel, has shown an aptitude for leadership. That demon has since continued to expand on the power base that Tenkou had rallied, and now leads a large army." Seiryuu's lips thinned as he drew in a harsh breath, "They've broken through the barrier which has kept them imprisoned for a hundred thousand years…Taiitsukun only had enough time to disguise me as a human and send me here, but my power in this world has been sealed, no thanks to the Suzaku no Miko. The demons seek to gain control of the Universe of the Four Gods. Once they do, they will take over the other planes of existence connected to it, including this world."

Shifting from one foot to another in agitation, Andy frowned, "Where is Taiitsukun now? And the other gods?"

"Imprisoned on Mount Taikyoku," Seiryuu paced to an armchair and dropped gracefully into it, suddenly looking less than his usual haughty self, "At the moment, they can't kill Taiitsukun without destroying the Universe of the Four Gods in the process. Her existence and that of the Universe is entwined; she gives life to it, and it gives life to her. Kokabiel needs to sever that bond first by performing a specific unbinding spell."

Pale blue eyes narrowed but Nicholas did not speak. With a curt nod, he indicated that Seiryuu continue with his explanation.

Kutou's patron god looked slowly from Nicholas to Andy and back again, "This is where your precious Suzaku no Miko comes in." Seiryuu paused a beat to let the information sink in, "They're after her. They need the child that she is carrying to complete the ritual."

Digging his fingers into his palms until he was quite sure that his nails were about to break the skin, Andy blurted out the question plaguing him, "Why are they targeting Miaka's baby in particular?"

"Like most truly dark spells, this one's recipe requires two things; blood and innocence. The darker the spell, the more powerful the blood needs to be." The formerly divine being held up one finger, "That child has unsurpassed potential, considering who its parents are. It also represents the divine balance of yin and yang, which the demons are striving to upset." The aquamarine-headed man lifted another finger, "Unborn babies are physical manifestations of pure innocence, untouched as yet by the corruptions of the outside world."

"Death magic," Nakago said tonelessly without bothering to look at anyone. Head resting against the back of the couch with his face tilted upwards, he was ostensibly studying the ceiling out of boredom. "They plan to cut the baby out of her womb." Only the telltale flicker of a muscle ticking in his tightly clenched jaw indicated much deeper emotions swirling below the surface.

The corners of Seiryuu's beautifully sculpted mouth curled in a sinister parody of a smile, "I see you are familiar with dark rituals. The effects of this spell are twofold. First, it will unbind Taiitsukun from the fabric of the Universe of the Four Gods, thus enabling them to dispose of her without repercussions. Second, when one kills a god, they take on the powers of the god they've killed. If Kokabiel manages to murder Taiitsukun, it will make him the most powerful entity in existence, and thereby forcing the Shijintenchisho to recognise him as the new Overseer."

Andy slumped back into the plush armchair, feeling the colour draining from his face at the thought of Miaka and her baby being used as a sacrifice in some hideous ritual.

Silence reigned in the room for a full minute, until Nakago lifted his head slowly to regard Seiryuu seikun, "Assuming that you have been telling the truth, explain why I have no recollection of Miaka in the past?"

The Guardian of the East made yet another sound of distaste, "I should have known…You don't care about anything except _her, _do you? What is it about that annoying girl that has almost every man she meets falling for her?" Blue-green eyes slitted, and the dragon god muttered something unprintable in a language that had not been heard by human ears for a millennia. "Fine! But I'm only going to go over this once, so listen carefully."

"As I mentioned before, Taiitsukun sent her into the past because the Nakago of the past is the only person strong enough to protect her from the demons that are after her. It is highly likely that they will follow her through time to obtain what they need to complete the ritual. The reason why you don't remember is because somewhere along the line, Taiitsukun sealed all memories of her in the past so that it would not alter the course of destiny…and that old crone is only one who can unseal them."

"Before either of the gods were summoned, we did not see any evidence that there was a Miaka from the present, so that means that everything must have worked out here and she was sent back to this time, right? We know for a fact that she was no longer there by the time Yui got absorbed into the Book!" The Suzaku seishi pointed out with a triumphant note in his voice and looked rather pleased with himself.

Seiryuu seikun shrugged in the infuriating way that seemed to say everything and nothing at the same time. "You could be right, or it could be that by the time the Suzaku seishi came into the picture, she was already dead, or the demons had already captured her. We have no way of knowing for sure unless the girl herself comes back to tell us what happened or the seal that is blocking Nakago's memories is released. Whatever occurs to your miko while she is stuck in the past becomes the present and future for her. Time travel means that everything effectively takes place _now_, and unless there is some undisputable record of what actually transpired in the time she was—…_is_ there with our dear shogun, history is writing itself even as we speak."

"Therefore the only thing we do know is that whatever happened during the period that Miaka was with my past self, Nakago obviously survived it to go on to participate in the later events that are documented in the Shijintenchisho." Since everyone in the room knew that the Book had only began recording the story when the teenaged Miaka had been sucked into the Universe of the Four Gods for the first time, there was no need for Nicholas to elaborate any further…_All the times when he had come terrifyingly close to killing the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl who would turn out to be the other half of his soul. _The migraine clawing at the inside of his skull increased in intensity. Lifting a hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose, and calculated how much time he had left before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Bright golden sparks blazed in the former emperor's eyes as he flipped his long hair over his shoulder with more force than was needed. "Which means that you could have handed her over to the demons on a silver platter to save your own skin," the musician said tightly, frustration adding fuel to the resentment which had long been simmering below the surface. "If anything happens to Miaka, I'll make you regret ever being reborn—"

"…—If anything happens to her, you have my permission." Eyes that had taken on the exact hue of storm clouds held Andy's for the space of several long heartbeats, before their owner stood with a sinuous movement and walked to one of the suite's bedrooms.

The click of the lock indicated that the blonde general considered the discussion closed.

Seiryuu seikun thoughtfully drummed his fingers on the chair's armrest and rested his booted feet on the coffee table, fully aware of the reason behind his seishi's abrupt departure. In fact, he was surprised that Nakago had been able to last as long as he had after using up that much chi. It was a good sign. They needed the blonde shogun to be strong, if the Universe of the Four Gods was to survive this crisis. Turning to the Suzaku seishi, he raised a perfectly-shaped cerulean eyebrow when a sizeable number of miniature bottles were unceremoniously dumped on the table just next to his feet. "What's this?"

A very even set of white teeth was bared in a smile so insincere that it would have shocked all of Andy Wong's fans. "The contents of the minibar. Enjoy." With that, the openly hostile pop idol marched to the other bedroom and slammed the door, leaving Seiryuu alone in the middle of the lounge.

The dragon god reflected briefly on how difficult it was to get good help these days and how touchy humans became when their loved ones got misplaced. Back in the old days, people prostrated themselves on the ground if you so much as looked in their direction…and eagerly offered up their firstborn sons and virgin daughters as sacrifices. Shoulders lifting in a philosophical shrug, he reached for the nearest bottle, twisted open the top and took an experimental sip. He blinked, and inspected the shimmering, colourless liquid inside. _Not bad, this mortal-made 'vodka'… Not bad at all…_

* * *

Miaka fumed at the evil jerk who would eventually become her husband. He had _locked_ her in! The doors refused to open even when she tugged on them with all her might. Luxurious as the room was, it did not change the fact that she was a prisoner. By her best estimates, she'd been stuck in here for at least two hours and she was beginning to suffer from restlessness and boredom (pacing the floor had lost its appeal after the first fifty repetitions).

Flopping down on the bed, she muttered another uncomplimentary epithet about the blonde shogun although she'd been careful not to include anything about male impotence thus far. One never knew when the old saying of being careful of what you wished for would prove to be true. Placing a hand gently over her belly, Miaka allowed herself to wallow in the immense joy that she had tried so hard to hide earlier. _I'm pregnant, _she thought in amazed wonder, _with Nakago's baby_. Even though she had only known about it for a short while, she already loved this tiny new life inside her with all her heart. She'd wanted children, but had been unsure of how to broach the subject with the Walking Icicle.

She just wished that he was here to share this exciting discovery with her.

_Wait a minute…_

Suspicion bloomed into certainty when she suddenly recalled with vivid clarity, how she had wondered at his recent odd behaviour and the extreme care he had taken with her in the weeks leading up to her birthday, especially in bed. She had not dwelled on it at the time, but she now realised that every action had been a conscious and very calculated effort on Nakago's part. The reprehensible baka had _known_, and had not deigned to mention it to her!

Furthermore, since there was no such thing as an accident when it involved the blonde former shogun, she was beginning to suspect that not only was her beloved husband fully aware of her condition, he had intentionally allowed nature to take its course and had _let_ her to get pregnant _by design_… without first bothering to discuss it with her! Her rage inched closer to volcanic proportions when she belatedly recalled that one night, he'd simply stopped doing that weird Bochuu Jutsu thing to her after their lovemaking. And since they did not use any other forms of contraception…

"I am going to _kill_ that scheming rat!"

The unladylike bellow was loud enough to send a flock of birds in the nearby trees into noisy flight and startle the guards patrolling the hallways at the opposite end of the palace.

* * *

Notes:

1) Writing this part was a great deal more difficult than I ever imagined. I had to re-work most of what I had initially written to make sure that I did not leave any huge gaping loopholes, especially with the whole time-travel theory bit. I'm not saying that there aren't any loopholes…just that they're not huge and gaping. :P I also had to make sure that I did not write myself into a corner which I would not be able to explain myself out of later in the story. As such, this is a rather more intellectual chapter than usual.

And for those of you who have bothered to read up to this point, I have a little gift which you can access by **going to my Author's Profile**. Please do let me know if you like it. Enjoy!

2) Miaka is not angry at her husband for getting her pregnant. She's furious at him for not bothering tell her of his plans to start a family and for keeping his knowledge of her pregnancy to himself.

3) For the sake of consistency, I am making a reference back to the same very personal problem Nakago/Nicholas had in Chapter 4 of Crossroads: Any over-exertion of chi will result in him being aroused for a short period of time and then followed by him crashing.

4) Nicholas really is very close to losing his impressive emotional control. I tried very hard to put that idea across in this chapter by focusing on his thoughts and reactions whenever he thinks about Miaka. He loves her deeply, and he's prepared to "tear the Universe of the Four Gods apart" until he finds her. All his questions to Seiryuu are about Miaka, and the dragon god correctly observes that Nicholas doesn't care about anything except her.


	4. As History Unfolds

**Chapter 4: As History Unfolds**

It took all her willpower to suppress a whoop of triumph when her feet hit the ground. She settled for a soft, slightly demented giggle instead and let go of the carefully knotted bed sheets that had served as her means of escape. _Score one for Team Yuuki!_ she thought with a grin. If Nakago had thought that putting her in a room on the second floor and locking the door would prevent her from escaping, he was in for a major disappointment! After twisting and then tying the sheets, curtains and a tablecloth together to make a rope strong enough to hold her weight, she securely anchored one end around the leg of the heavy table and tossed the other end out the window. Once she had made sure that there were no guards in sight, she'd quickly lifted herself onto the wide windowsill, wrapped her hands and legs around her makeshift rope and let herself down like a fireman sliding down a pole.

It was a beautiful day outside and she had been starting to get cabin fever from being cooped up in that room. Not that she was really planning to leave the palace grounds…she just wanted to take a walk in the gardens and enjoy the warm sunshine and fresh air. Miaka doubted that it would take him long to find her once he discovered that she was gone. Nakago would no doubt be annoyed, but she refused to worry about it.

Randomly picking a direction, she walked until she came to a small sheltered bridge built over a pond. A nice breeze was blowing and brought with it the scent of water-lilies. Stopping in the middle of the bridge and looking down, she saw that colourful carp glided gracefully through the clear water. Despite the situation she was in, the atmosphere was relaxing and she had no idea how long she remained standing there watching their silent water ballet.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Miaka spun around at the quietly spoken words, abruptly coming face to face with the one person who caused her heart to drop right down to the soles of her feet. Her mouth felt as if it was filled with sawdust as she stared at the tall, statuesque warrior who had appeared behind her.

_Holy Crap! Soi!_

_Stop staring at her as if she's a ghost! Of course she would be here, baka! _A mental voice chided not-so-gently, _This is the past. She is still alive at this point in time…and she and Nakago are lovers. _Snapping out of her shock, she forced a smile when a tidal wave of resentment swept through her. She knew she could never hope to compete against the other woman's beauty and abilities. _The arrogant jerk isn't yours yet, _she reminded herself, _so get a grip and quit feeling like a jealous wife!_ "Yes, they are so pretty," she managed to say lightly, proud of how her voice came out sounding almost normal.

It hurt to look at Soi, knowing how things would turn out for the female Seiryuu seishi…Suddenly, Miaka felt genuinely sorry for the other woman, who would never experience the love the impassive blonde general was capable of. The last traces of unwarranted envy dissolved as the former Suzaku no Miko realised that she had no desire to antagonise the woman who had—…_would_ give up her life for Nakago. For the cold, arrogant man who would, amidst surroundings ravaged by war, search for days for a beautiful place to bury a body long gone cold…

In fact, _she_ owed the other woman a debt of gratitude. Had it not been for Soi, the man whom Miaka had fallen in love with would not even exist in the future. Even though Nakago had been unable to return Soi's feelings in a normal way, he'd cared about her, as much as he was able to bring himself to care about anyone. What he felt for the lovely female seishi had been the only thing that prevented the last glimmer of humanity inside him from fading away completely.

Her train of thought was interrupted when the ruby-haired woman held out a small woven bamboo basket containing little pieces of bread, "Would you like to feed them?"

Miaka hesitated for the briefest second before nodding, "Hai…I would like that very much." She bowed slightly in thanks, but lifted her head when Soi chuckled.

The laughter was husky and surprisingly sincere. "There's no need to thank me like that," the female seishi said in amusement, "It's only stale bread, and they're only fish."

In companionable silence, they threw the bread into the pond, watching as the water seemed to come alive as seemingly hundreds of fish competed for the food. The jewel-like tones of their scales shimmered vividly in the sunlight, in every colour between red and gold.

"Rumour has it that the Shogun brought a strange woman from another world to the palace," the lightning wielder remarked conversationally when the last of the bread had disappeared.

Although Soi had yet to look up from the rippling water, the former priestess had a niggling feeling that the other woman was gauging her reaction. Not entirely sure how to respond to the candid statement, Miaka mentally scrambled for an appropriate response. What could she possibly say that would not give her away? The knowledge that Soi could literally flambé her on the spot did not offer any comfort. Running her fingers over the carved wooden railing of the bridge to buy a few extra seconds of time, she slowly turned her head to regard the female Seiryuu seishi, "Gossip does spread fast around here," she murmured neutrally.

"According to the guards, you are supposed to be confined to a room."

_So she knew who I was all along…_Displaying a level of calm equanimity that would have done her husband (whom she was still _seriously upset_ with) proud, Miaka pasted a small smile on her face, "Are you going to apprehend me?" There was nothing she could do except to go meekly with Soi if the woman decided to bring her back to the room, and she refused to risk her baby's safety in any case.

Shrewd amethyst eyes met hers for a long moment, before Soi shrugged in a philosophical manner, "Why would I? You don't look like you are trying to leave the palace." The glossy coil of wine-red hair gleamed as Soi picked up the empty basket, "However, if you had been running earlier, I would have been obliged to stop you."

"Thank you," Miaka quietly let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding, grateful that Soi did not seem to see the need to drag her back to that accursed locked room to score points with Nakago.

The beautiful lady seishi flashed a sombre half-smile over a slim shoulder, "Enjoy whatever time you have out here…He'll find you soon enough." The advice was delivered without malice. "Especially if you aren't even bothering to run and hide."

* * *

He had brushed his teeth, shaved and showered methodically; going through the routine on autopilot, his mind fully occupied with analysing Seiryuu's shocking revelations. It had been a minor miracle that he'd made it to the bed the previous night before passing out from the massive chi drain. Thankfully, he had awakened this morning none the worse for wear except for some mild light-headedness and a strong craving for a full English breakfast. Running a hand through his wet hair, Nicholas stared sightlessly into the mirror, searching his mind for something, _anything _to reassure himself that Miaka had come to no harm whilst with his alter-ego in the past.

It was deeply unsettling to find out that Nakago had known her even before that first fateful meeting at the gates of Kutou. Miaka was not the sort of person one forgot easily…which led Nicholas to wonder when Taiitsukun had decided to screw around with his memories. His eyes narrowed as a hazy recollection of—…he frowned as he endeavoured to bring it into focus…a strange thought he'd had, on the day they had said their vows to each other. At the time, Nicholas had not stopped to examine it, and consequently, it had been replaced by matters of more importance, like claiming his bride on their wedding night…

The memory of that moment on the beach as he had held her slender body in his arms crystallized in vivid detail, as if it had only been yesterday instead of over three years ago. His hands tightened on the marble counter when he remembered the fleeting impression of…_an odd sense that there was more; that he had been waiting for her all his life… As both Gi Ayuru and Nicholas Raine._

Had his subconscious been trying to tell him something even back then?

When several more minutes of soul-searching failed to uncover anything useful, he gave up and got dressed. Today, they needed to discuss what had to be done to keep all hell from literally breaking loose.

Walking into the lounge, the first thing he saw was Seiryuu seikun sprawled on the couch, dead to the world. Several empty miniature bottles were scattered across the floor and coffee table. It did not take a genius to figure out what the former dragon god had been up to. Nonetheless, having Seiryuu safely comatose on the couch was better than letting him wreak havoc elsewhere. Nicholas resisted the desire to kick the blue-haired deity awake. Such petty behaviour was beneath him, but that didn't mean that he wasn't sorely tempted.

Glancing at his watch, he noted that it was fairly early in the morning. The closed door and the utter silence from the other bedroom indicated that even the pop star was probably still asleep.

_Might as well get things in motion, _he decided swiftly, picking up the house telephone on a side table. He kept an eye on the slumbering dragon god as he quietly conveyed his requests. By the time the others woke up, the stage would already be set with no excuse to delay the conversations they needed to have. The danger to Miaka and the world as they knew it increased with every passing moment.

He sincerely hoped that saving the world did not entail babysitting an ill-tempered former beast god and a highly-strung musician.

* * *

The weeping willow stood at the water's edge, its branches gracefully arched, the swaying green fronds just brushing the pool's surface. Far from living quarters and the main halls, the small courtyard had, in time, been abandoned and forgotten by the palace residents. He liked to come to this secluded corner of the palace gardens sometimes, to think in peace. It was here that he found her, sitting under the willow tree. She did not move when he approached; did not attempt to run or evade him. It was almost as if she had been waiting for him to show up.

He came to a stop mere feet away from her. "When I lock a door, I would expect the person inside the room to still be there when I return," he remarked with dry sarcasm. "You go through the trouble of escaping from your room, yet you make no attempt to run from me or leave the grounds. Why?"

She looked up at him with huge, luminous hazel eyes, not the slightest sign of fear on her face, "I did not appreciate being locked up like a prisoner and I needed some fresh air," she answered promptly in a matter-of-fact manner that suggested that she wasn't bothering to lie. As though to underline her point, the willow's delicate leaves stirred and rustled as a soft breeze wove through them. "As for running from you, that would be a waste of energy. You would catch me anyway." She stood and smoothed down her skirt, not the least concerned that her would-be jailor stood an arm's length away. "And I have no intention of endangering my baby again."

"And the stunt you pulled with the knotted bed sheets does not qualify as dangerous?" Nakago countered flatly. Of course he had known the instant she had left the room, and her exact whereabouts since then, but he had chosen to wait and see what she would do with her freedom. Had she displayed any suspicious behaviour or shown the slightest sign of leaving the palace grounds, he would have intercepted her. However, she had surprised him once more when she'd strolled through the gardens at a leisurely pace no fugitive desperate for escape would adopt.

Her cheeks coloured at his words, and her soft pink mouth tightened, "I knew what I was doing," she muttered and turned to toss the willow stem she had been holding into the water, "I would not have had to do it if you had not locked the door."

For some reason, he suddenly felt compelled to justify his reasons to her. The momentary weakness disgusted him and he ruthlessly killed the feeling before it could fully form. He did not need or want to explain his actions to anyone, least of all to a mysterious girl whom might well stand in the way of his carefully planned ambitions. "I could not have you wondering around the palace," he found himself saying without an ounce of remorse, "The guards could have mistaken you for a spy or an intruder and manhandled you." That reason had been made up on the spot, but it was not a complete lie. He flashed a grimly sinister smirk at her, "It is not my wish to see you or your child…damaged in any way."

She shot him a look as if he had just offered to sell her an iceberg in the middle of Sairo-koku.

He had hoped that the room confinement would pressure her into telling him the truth. Unfortunately, instead of tears and pleas, she had climbed out of a window a good twenty feet above the ground!

Locking her up would only result in her breaking out again…Possibly with extensive damage to property. With the power that he sensed residing inside her deceptively slender frame, he could well believe that she was quite capable of levelling a good portion of the palace when incited to true fury. Not that he particularly cared if she did destroy the palace, but he was determined to know what secrets she had hidden in that pretty little head of hers. Besides, he had no desire to lose the one thing that alleviated his boredom.

Life was not unlike a game of chess, and people were but pawns, only existing to be used as he saw fit. However, this tiny woman was proving to be more difficult to manipulate than most. There were far too many unknown variables when it came to her…and Nakago did not like being left in the dark about anything.

She fascinated him on a number of levels; brave enough not to be cowed by him, and smart enough to be wary of him. This was new to his experience, since women tended to regard him with either deference or blind adoration. Judging from her cagey responses and the way she looked at him like he was a ravenous wolf in an ill-fitting lamb's skin, he was willing to bet that she somehow knew more about him then she was letting on. There was also the mystery of her connection to the phoenix god. Indeed, she was one of the most interesting people he'd met in years. He had underestimated her this time, but he would not do so again. From what he had observed of her character so far, Nakago decided that the use of outward force would not earn him the answers he sought. To learn anything, he would have to gain her trust.

_One draws more bees with honey than with vinegar…_

"Lady Yuuki," he allowed a faint smile to curve the corners of his mouth, "Perhaps our acquaintance got off on the wrong foot. I would very much like to…make amends for that. I would be most honoured if you would join me for dinner tonight."

She stared at him suspiciously for a long moment and opened her mouth to reject him. Before she could rebuff the invitation, however, he bent to take her hand with his own, his thumb gently brushing over her delicate knuckles. "No? Not even if I apologised for the way I have treated you?" The rapid fluttering of the pulse at her throat told him that she was not as immune to him as she tried to pretend, and he shamelessly pressed his advantage. "You are pregnant and all alone here in Kutou. I would very much like to help you."

_I should tell him that I can take care of myself! _Unfortunately, the scathing retort never made it out of her mouth as Miaka found herself fighting the urge to move closer to him. She understood Nakago well enough to recognise that this sudden change in attitude was probably an underhanded tactic to get her to lower her guard, but she couldn't concentrate when he was being so distracting! He looked and acted so much like the man she loved that she had almost forgotten that he wasn't _her _Nakago. Whilst he couldn't possibly know the truth behind her reaction to his nearness, the split-second of vulnerability had allowed the Seiryuu general to neatly trap her into sharing a meal with him! It would be worse than rude of her to refuse (he _had_ saved her from those thugs back in that alley after all), even though she _knew_ that he had some sort of unholy ulterior motive.

Pulling out of his hold, she tried not to mourn the loss of contact. "You are too kind, Shogun-sama," she returned grudgingly, quickly putting her hands behind her back, dismayed at how her fingers were trembling. Hoping that he did not notice the goose bumps caused by the mere feel of his skin against her own, Miaka squared her jaw and moved to walk past him.

She could feel his disturbingly perceptive gaze burning into her back like a laser and blamed her wildly see-sawing emotions on pregnancy hormones. _At least now I know that I'm not coming down with a really nasty case of stomach flu, _she comforted herself. Now, if only she could just keep her feelings for the arrogant father of her baby from colouring her reactions towards the self-serving (but no less aloof) blonde shogun…

* * *

Tying his hair securely in its usual low ponytail, Andy swung open the bedroom door, bracing himself for the worst. Whatever he might have imagined, it certainly wasn't the seemingly peaceful scene of his arch-nemesis seated at the table calmly reading the newspapers over a cup of coffee. A plate and used cutlery which had been set to one side indicated that Nicholas had been awake for some time.

A quick inventory of the lounge revealed the dragon god to be exactly where Andy had left him the previous night, which was quite a surprise. His gaze drifted back, only to collide with the faint mockery in Nakago's cool silver-blue eyes. The blonde shogun tilted his cup slightly towards the full breakfast cart beside the table and said dryly, "Help yourself. I suspect you will need the energy later."

To Andy's eternal embarrassment, his stomach gave a rumble of hunger in response to the delicious smells coming from the food. Other than the drink at the café yesterday, he had not eaten anything since Miaka's birthday party. It was too much to hope that the Seiryuu general had missed the sound, so he pretended nothing out of the ordinary had happened and nodded stiffly in the direction of the sofa, somehow managing to squeeze the words out from between gritted teeth, "Should we wake him?"

"Be my guest."

Nakago did not look concerned either way, and Andy wondered suspiciously if the blonde man knew something that he didn't. Then again, the Walking Ice Block rarely showed any emotion over anything except Miaka. Pursing his lips together, he walked briskly to the couch and nudged the sleeping god with his knee…

…an instant before pure survival instinct caused him to hurl himself backwards, narrowly avoiding a vicious kick aimed at said kneecap. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he yelled furiously, knowing from the slight tingle on the side of his throat that his seishi mark was glowing bright crimson, ready for battle.

The inhuman turquoise eyes slitted open to glare at Andy malevolently. For a second, there was a disturbing lack of recognition which would have stopped even the most foolhardy of people on their tracks. Seiryuu did not bother to apologise or explain, and instead proceeded to stretch lazily before gracefully pushing himself upright. The god of war leisurely turned his head to regard him with an amused smirk, "Not bad reflexes for a Suzaku seishi. You may be of some use yet."

Andy was about to lunge at the arrogant deity when a rolled-up newspaper sailed past him, hitting Seiryuu squarely in the chest with considerable force.

"Congratulations, you made the front page of the _London Herald_." A cold, perfectly even voice announced, "The police are now looking for the blue-haired suicidal maniac who was on top of the Tower Bridge."

"Why, Nakago, I didn't think you cared," the dragon god dropped the paper onto the floor without looking at it and swaggered to the breakfast trolley to examine the offerings. Helping himself to a generous serving of everything, he settled himself down to enjoy his first mortal meal. The musician filled a plate while shooting hate-filled looks across the table and chose a seat as far away from the untrustworthy deity as was humanly possible.

"If I thought for a moment that it would help in getting Miaka back, I would gladly arrange for you to be returned there," the blonde Seiryuu general stated without any indication that he was anything less than deadly serious. Nakago put his coffee cup down and regarded his one-time master with a penetrating silver stare, "Taiitsukun obviously believes that we can stop the demons from succeeding in their bid to take over, or she would not have sent us here."

The dragon god did not make the mistake of tossing out another taunt, sensing that his most powerful seishi's impressive patience was fast disappearing and one wrong move would result in the blonde shogun making good on his threat. At the other end of the table, the Suzaku swordsman's hand was clenched around the handle of a seemingly harmless piece of cutlery a little too tightly…perhaps wondering if a butter knife could be used to gut a person? Taking his time chewing and swallowing the last of the bacon on his plate, Seiryuu dropped the napkin he'd used to wipe his mouth and met Nakago's gaze, "We have one chance. We need to find a divine weapon that can kill Kokabiel."

The shogun flicked a quick glance at the dark-haired Suzaku seishi, "Hotohori's deity sword?"

"If only it were that simple," Seiryuu told them grimly, "Now that he has taken Taiitsukun hostage and is draining her power, Kokabiel cannot be killed with any weapon from the Universe of the Four Gods because it was Taiitsukun who created the weapons." Without waiting for the question that he knew was coming, the cerulean-haired former god continued, "Fortunately, there is a sword right here in this country that _can_ kill them—"

"NO! _No way_! You've got to be kidding! Please tell me you are _not_ talking about King Arthur's Excalibur!" the long-haired musician protested, pointing the butter knife threateningly at the erstwhile God of War, "Excalibur is a myth! No one knows if it really existed!"

Narrowed reptilian pale eyes turned derisively on Andy, "I would have never have expected you to be so close-minded and sceptical. Many regard the Universe of the Four Gods as nothing more than a myth…will you deny that you, Nakago and I exist? All legends have a seed of truth in them. Even you should have figured that out by now."

"But—…"

Nakago interrupted before Andy could say anything more, "So it appears that there is indeed a valid reason as to why we are here in England." The blonde general looked remarkably composed—as though the fate of his wife and unborn child did not hinge on the word of a vindictive god—at the prospect, "I imagine that obtaining such a legendary artefact would be exceedingly difficult…What are you _not_ telling us?"

The recently-mortal deity's mouth twisted humourlessly, "Of course. Nothing that powerful is ever left unguarded. There is no chance of someone accidentally stumbling over the sword. One must deliberately go searching for it…But first they would have to know where to look, and it isn't in a place that is easily accessible."

"Somehow I don't like the sound of that." The muttered comment lacked any real heat or anger. _But then, it isn't as if I can do anything about it, _Andy thought unhappily as he contemplated the dark liquid in his coffee cup. _A wild goose chase after a mythical weapon or Armageddon. When put like that, there really isn't much of a choice, is there?_

If Seiryuu heard Andy's remark, he did not give any indication, "Mankind, with its obsessive need to name everything, has called it Avalon, the Elysian Fields, Valhalla, Tír na nÓg…depending on what century and which unwashed barbarian you happened to be talking to. But one thing would always be constant; it is a place that could only be found beyond the edges of a map…the final resting place of the good and the Chosen."

The silence that filled the room as the former deity's words sunk in was thick enough to slice with a knife. Nicholas pushed his chair back and stood, his eyes narrowing at his one-time master, "I take it you know how to get us there." Although the blonde shogun did not raise his voice, it seemed to echo within the four walls that surrounded them. "Without, of course, going by the usual route which would require us to die somewhere along the way."

Andy could feel the blood draining from his face. While he wasn't afraid of death, and was prepared to sacrifice himself for Miaka, he never thought he would have to go courting it deliberately.

There was an undecipherable look on Seiryuu's face, "Of course there's another way in. Actually, it's not getting in that's the problem," the blue-haired dragon god told them gruffly, "It's getting out alive afterwards."

* * *

"_From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry..."_

— _Elizabeth Bennet ("Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen)_

Every muscle in Miaka's body tensed when her host glided into the cozy but expensively decorated room. In place of his usual armour, he had donned court wear of a long tunic worn over a white shirt and pants. A stark jet black, the tunic was made of heavy silk brocade that looked so luxurious that she longed to touch it. His clothes fitted him perfectly; sleek and austere, save for the intricate design which had been picked out in silver-grey thread at the collar and cuffs. Nervously, she noticed how he still wore his sword, tucked through the blue sash at his waist. _Always the Shogun, even when he's taken off his armour, _she interpreted after a moment. Nakago didn't just wear the weapon for show, he was an accomplished swordsman, and she'd watched him put his skills to deadly use on more than one occasion.

She felt him taking in her appearance as he neared the table at which she was seated. Earlier, a servant girl had prepared a relaxing bath and fresh clothes for her, while another had appeared to arrange Miaka's hair into an elaborate bun held in place with pretty jewelled combs. On the shogun's orders, no doubt. Similar to what she had worn during the unsuccessful summoning ceremony in Konan, her current outfit comprised of nothing more than a sheer scarlet outer-robe of the most delicate cloth imaginable and a thin white silk inner-robe, both held in place by a matching white sash. Fortunately, it still covered more than her dress had. At least now she felt less exposed in the company of her blonde nemesis.

"Red suits you."

His deep voice sent a wave of longing through her, and she felt a blush creeping over her cheeks at the compliment. "Thank you, it's kind of you to say so," she said primly, pasting a bright smile on her face as a hasty after-thought and forcing herself not to look away in embarrassment.

A corner of his mouth twitched faintly in amusement, "Let us drop the formalities. I have a feeling that you are used to speaking your mind. I promise not to have you thrown in the dungeon for doing so."

"Or flogged?" The retort was instant, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. The heat flooding her face made her realise that her current bright pink skin tone was probably clashing horribly with the red of her clothing.

Those pale eyes of his gleamed, reminding her uncomfortably of the eyes of the white tiger she had once seen at the zoo. For the first time in years, she felt uneasy in his presence.

"You are my guest here, Yuuki-san. You have nothing to fear from me."

_If only that were true! _She sighed and focused on a spot somewhere in the vicinity of his right shoulder, because looking at him directly betrayed too many of her own emotions. "Alright…I really don't want to fight with you, Ayuru…-san." The unfamiliar form of address felt alien on her tongue, especially when she was so used to calling him simply _Nakago_, or on occasion, _Damned Arrogant Jerk._

"Then answer my questions," he parried smoothly; nothing overtly threatening in his manner, but there was an unnatural stillness about him…a predator watching and waiting.

Miaka ignored his remark, "If I'm not a prisoner …I want to be able to leave my room at will." Negotiating with Nakago was hazardous to one's health, but even as twisted as he was now, she was quite confident that he still had enough honour not to physically harm a pregnant woman.

"Done. But you are not to leave the palace grounds unless accompanied by me," he agreed calmly without so much as batting an eyelid._ And with the speed of an auctioneer selling off a fake Picasso painting! _she thought darkly, suddenly suspecting that he had expected her to ask all along. An elegant gesture signalled for the food to be served. As a variety of tempting dishes were placed on the table between them, he sat back in his own chair, regarding her with a deceptively casual air. "You are obviously not from this world. How did you end up in Kutou?"

She almost choked at his matter-of-fact statement. _Should have known that he would guess sooner or later…_And she would have to give him points for his persistence in pursuing that particular line of questioning.

"I…" she hesitated, her hand tightening around her teacup uncaring of how hot it was. How much could she reveal without altering the course of history? _Maybe history has already been changed just by my presence here, _her mental voice pointed out.

"Yuuki-san, I need to know what your exact circumstances are before I am able to help you."

Had he been anyone else, she would have sworn that he was genuinely concerned, but Nakago was a consummate actor and highly adapt at projecting whatever was required to persuade his audience. Miaka did not doubt that back in her own time, her husband really did love her. Unfortunately, the blonde man sitting in front of her would not feel that way about her for some time yet (at least not until after both of them had been through hell and back together…_Twice_). This man would think nothing of manipulating people to achieve his goals…and she _knew_ that he would hurt her fifteen-year-old self and kill her seishi somewhere in _his_ future.

To delay her answer, she took a sip of her tea. She needed to tell him something close enough to the truth to be believable. Miaka hated lying to people unless absolutely necessary. Praying that she was making the correct choice, Miaka took a deep breath, "As you have already guessed, I am not from this world. One moment I was with my husband and friends in my world, when an ugly old hag suddenly appeared. The next thing I knew, I woke up alone just outside the city."

As expected, the blonde shogun immediately focused on the part of her narrative she least wanted him to, "Do you know who the old hag was?"

Firmly convinced that she was probably going to burn in hell for all the half-truths she was spouting, Miaka tried to act as if she was struggling to recall an elusive detail, "She said that she was… Taiijukun." She deliberately mispronounced the unsightly immortal's name. _If you only knew how well acquainted I am with that pompous, interfering old witch! _

"Taiitsukun," he corrected, and even though there was no change in the even cadence of his voice, she knew he was deeply interested.

Leaning forward with what she prayed was a surprised and hopeful expression, "Do you know her? Can you get her to send me back?"

"I only know _of _her. The old legends tell of Taiitsukun, the being who oversees everything in this world." He motioned to the feast laid before them, indicating that she should start eating. "I am sure we can find another way for you to return home."

Nakago observed the mysterious girl he had rescued off the street. For such a small creature, she certainly ate a lot. As he followed suit with a more modest portion of each dish, he had to admit that she had managed to impress him again by turning his own words about being a guest against him. Most people were meek and submissive when confronted by him…but not her. He had not been lying when he had told her that red suited her; it matched her fiery bravery and the temper which lay behind those huge, expressive eyes. He wondered about her husband…whoever he was, he would have to be very strong—both mentally and physically—in order to possess one such as her. Was her husband a celestial warrior…maybe even a Suzaku seishi? He turned the idea over in his mind, examining it from every angle. Was it possible that her chi was that distinctive red hue because she was carrying the child of one of Suzaku's servants?

On the other hand, she had admitted that she was from another world, and it seemed unlikely that the man was a seishi of any sort, Suzaku or otherwise. Seishi were meant to be _here_ in this world, waiting to serve and protect their miko when she appeared. All reasonable logic dictated that there was no chance that Yuuki's husband was anyone who would pose a threat to his plans _if_ and _when_ the man managed to show up.

But then, that still left the question of why her life-force was connected so strongly to the phoenix god. And why even now, even though only a table lay between them, he could barely sense her baby's aura when he should have been able to do so from halfway across the palace.

Whatever the real reason, Taiitsukun's involvement meant that something major was happening; something which involved the four gods…and he had a feeling that the woman seated across from him would turn out to be a very valuable bargaining chip. It was therefore in his best interest to make sure he retained possession of her by any means possible.

He emerged from his introspection to realise that she was frowning at him, auburn brows drawn together. "Is the food not to your liking, Yuuki-san?" he asked lightly, allowing his lips to curve into a smile.

"You're not eating." Her eyes shot green-gold sparks straight at him, the accusation in her voice clear, "Is there some sort of poison in the food that I should be worried about?"

What a suspicious little thing she was!

"Of course not. Why would I attempt to poison a beautiful woman such as yourself? I do not understand why you continue to doubt my intentions, Yuuki-san. Have I displeased you in some way?" Carefully arranging his features into an expression of hurt innocence, he strove to sound contrite, a strategy that would disarm even the most bitter, man-hating spinster.

It was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Her chopsticks made a loud clutter as she slammed them down on top of her rice bowl. "Stop it!" she was truly angry, as evidenced by the erratic bursts of crimson chi flaring around her petite body. "Stop trying to charm me! This isn't what you are really like and it won't work on me!" she ground out through clenched teeth. For some reason he could not fathom, a sheen of tears glazed her eyes, completely at odds with her violent reaction.

All emotion slid off his face revealing his normal expressionless mask. She was on her feet now, about to turn tail and run out. Brutally suppressing his amazement at her words, he was beside her in a heartbeat, his long fingers wrapped around a slender arm.

"Explain," he demanded in a dangerously quiet tone so frigid that it would have caused most of the soldiers under his command to tremble in fear, "Tell me how you presume to know what I am really like."

"Let go!" She tried to jerk herself backward out of his hold, but Nakago tightened his grip, making her gasp in pain. There would be bruises on her pale skin in the morning, but he did not really care. She was the only person to have ever seen through one of his attempts at manipulation…and he wanted to know how.

He sensed an internal battle being waged within her, as if she was debating whether to lash out at him or not. Apparently, she came to the conclusion that she would not stand a chance in any fight against him and the risk of some harm coming to her baby was too great. Drawing herself up to her full height, she turned to face him with all the haughtiness of an empress, "You were cold and arrogant yesterday in the alley and this morning when you spoke to me. I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I know that people don't change personalities over the course of a few hours!"

Seconds ticked by as he considered her words. Without warning, he released her arm, his mouth quirking slightly in a thin, sardonic smile, "Point taken. Very good, Yuuki-san. Are there any other insights into my character you would like to share?"

She lifted her chin mutinously, "Other than the fact that you are ruthless and scheming? No."

_Does the argumentative chit have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever? _he wondered witheringly, mentally cataloguing the traits he had observed in her so far:

…_Stubborn as a mule…_

…_Brave (foolishly so)…_

…_Impulsive…_

…_Uncommonly perceptive…_

…_Strong chi signature that marks her as one of Suzaku's, in an as yet unknown capacity…_

…_Highly emotional and possesses a fiery temper when provoked…_

…_Has the subtlety of a bull in a pottery shop…_

However, he was forced to admit that the very qualities that grated on his patience also had the effect of piquing his interest.

A moment later, a slow smirk found its way across his face as he formulated a new plan. Purposefully, he leaned in, invading her personal space again…close enough to read the alarm reflected in her expressive eyes. "It appears that your mind is made up about the type of person I am. You do not like me very much, do you?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued on, "You wanted me to stop pretending to be someone I am not. Very well, you shall get your wish. I am not a kind man. As such, I'm withdrawing my offer of hospitality and you will earn your keep here like everyone else. From now on, you will be my personal servant. You will stay in my quarters where I can keep a close eye on you while you attend to my needs…_all_ my needs." Suddenly, intensely aware of the faint but compelling scent of ripe strawberries teasing his senses, he reached out to capture a loose lock of russet hair, rubbing the silky strands suggestively between his fingertips. Pregnant she may be, but she was still attractive enough the capture the attention of any red-blooded man…not that he really intended to bed her; he'd said it to drive home the fact that she was completely at his mercy.

Her pale, creamy skin flushed prettily at the unmistakable innuendo behind his words. "Forget it! I will never serve you in _that_ way! I love my husband and I am faithful to him!" she hissed, fists clenching in an effort not to take a swing at her tormentor's jaw, "You'd better be careful, one day you might just find a few extra ingredients in your tea!"

His little captive was practically quivering with emotion, but stood tall despite it. He recognised her fierce warrior's spirit and acknowledged its defiance. Respected it even. Not even Soi or Tomo dared to accuse him of hypocrisy as this diminutive female had. Nakago released her hair and stepped back, allowing his eyes to rake over her in a very deliberate and demeaning manner, "Shall we put that to the test, my dear Yuuki? Who knows? I might be able to change your mind."

She fell oddly silent, as if all the fight had drained out of her. "No, you won't. Not in this lifetime, Shogun_-sama_," she said finally, a strange veiled look passing over her features.

Why did her response resonate with something inside him? Was she even aware that she had as good as issued him a challenge that no self-respecting male would refuse? For the first time in years, he felt a surge of anticipation at what the future would bring. "I suggest you enjoy the rest of your dinner while you still can. The guards will bring you to my quarters when you are done." Being forced to spend her days with him constantly looking over her shoulder, would stress and unnerve her. The girl's volatile temper would probably snap under the strain, and it was highly likely that she would blurt out things she did not intend to reveal, or try to stab him with a pair of chopsticks…or both. "I expect to find you there when I return. You will not like the consequences otherwise." Catching the rebellious glare she fired at him, he elaborated coldly, "I am not such a monster that I would subject a pregnant woman to a whipping, well deserved as it may be. But before you try anything reckless, do bear in mind that you hold the well-being of the guards outside in your hands. I will punish them if you misbehave."

She went white, he supposed it was with disbelief at his ruthlessness, "Y-you…you're a cold-blooded tyrant. How do you live with yourself, doing these things?" she whispered dully and sat back down on her chair, refusing to meet his gaze.

"The point is, will _you_ be able to live with yourself if your actions caused innocent men to suffer?" Nakago left the warning hanging in the air as he turned and swept out of the room without a backward glance; stopping just long enough to dictate precise instructions to the guards outside. He was aware that the use of such psychological warfare against a pregnant woman was cruel and unscrupulous, but he had never been one to let something as unimportant as his conscience get in the way of achieving his objectives.

Deep in thought, he walked through the shadowed hallways without any particular destination in mind. However, his subconscious seemed to have ideas of its own and he found himself standing in front of the ornate doors leading to the shrine of Seiryuu.

Perhaps it was time to have a little communion with the dragon god. After all, a good player did not place his bets until he knew the exact value of his bargaining chips…And Nakago _always_ played to win.

* * *

Notes:

1) "…_an odd sense that there was more; that he had been waiting for her all his life… As both Gi Ayuru and Nicholas Raine"_ is a direct quote from the last chapter of Crossroads. Even when I was writing Crossroads eons ago, the idea for this story was already lurking at the back of my mind. There really is a reason why I worded it that way, which will become clear later in the story.

2) Miaka finally loses her temper because she cannot bear Nakago being uncharacteristically nice to her when she knows that he doesn't mean it. It isn't the smartest thing she could have done, but she hates lying to others and by the same measure, hates it when others lie to her.

3) In case you were wondering, Nakago is just trying to see how 'Yuuki' will react when he declares that she will serve ALL his needs. He doesn't have sexual designs on her, he's just goading her into getting angry and hopefully blurting out some useful information. Being highly vindictive and arrogant, it's also his way of punishing her for seeing through his manipulations.

4) After so many years of not writing Nakago as the evil shogun whom we originally saw in the anime and the manga, I finally fell into a trap of my own diabolical making! I had become so used to writing him as Nicholas/Nakago, the _**reincarnation**_ of the cold-blooded Shogun, that I completely lost touch with Watase Yuu's Nakago (I'll refer to him as Nakago Version 1.0). Consequently, I had a lot of trouble trying to imagine how Nakago Version 1.0 would think and react, especially if he was faced with a mysterious (and pregnant) woman who defies him at every turn. As such, I had to rewrite this chapter three times until I was reasonably satisfied that the Nakago portrayed here is true to the original. What do you guys think…?


	5. In Search of Eden

**Chapter 5: In Search of Eden**

Never in his wildest dreams, had he imagined having to go _shopping_ with his arch-nemesis and a temperamental God of War. But then again, very little of what had occurred over the past twenty-four hours resembled anything approaching a normal day in the life of a pop star. _One __day, __all __this __excitement __is __going __to __get __me __killed__…__again__… _Andy thought glumly as he selected a pair of jeans from his favourite designer label. They were back in Harrods again, and even something as mundane as buying clothes with Nicholas and Seiryuu was nerve-wrecking. To him, who had never felt the least bit of anxiety at the prospect of stepping out onto a stage and performing in front of thousands of people…This was worse than being stalked by the paparazzi.

Placing the jeans on the counter to be checked out along with some other necessities, Andy tried not to slide into full-fledged paranoia. No thanks to Taiitsukun, he would never regard shopping for clothes—which, up until today, had been one of his favourite activities—in quite the same way again. The unplanned nature of their 'excursion' meant that neither he nor Nicholas had any spare clothing except for what they had been wearing at Miaka's party. Not to mention that the ancient dragon deity they'd rescued needed clothes that did not make him stand out like a museum exhibit. That meant that they had to buy everything from the inside out, including socks and shirts. Cringing inwardly, he refused to ponder further on the absolute _wrongness_ of having to buy _underwear_ and deodorant in the presence of the Walking Icicle. He even found himself wondering if there was a household goods section somewhere nearby…where he might be able to procure some industrial-strength detergent with which to wash his brain…

Just then, the god strolled out of the changing room, looking surprisingly at home in a white shirt with the cuffs casually rolled back and a pair of grey jeans with a slightly darker tattoo design swirling down one leg. _Armani, __no __less, _he observed with a mental snort, absently scribbling his signature on the payment slip. Andy consoled himself that at least one person was probably enjoying it less than he was, as he glanced over to another counter where the former shogun was paying what had to be a small fortune for Seiryuu's clothes. The blonde man did not even bat an eyelid at the cost. While Andy himself made an obscene amount of money from his music and product endorsements, he suspected that the enigmatic leader of the Seiryuu shichi seishi was capable of matching him dollar for dollar. Still, it meant that Nicholas had the ability to provide for his wife and child…Andy would never have tolerated anything less than the very best for his beloved miko.

No…Nicholas was infinitely richer than Andy would ever be, simply because the bastard was married to Miaka.

On that depressing note, he collected his shopping bags and followed the others out of the store. The plan was to return to the hotel and do whatever packing they needed to do. With the same ease as he'd once directed Kutou's military campaigns, the Seiryuu general had already mapped out their route and arranged for a car to be waiting for them when they checked out of the hotel. They would be taking a little road-trip to the place where Seiryuu claimed was a portal to Avalon. Andy would have been excited to be visiting one of the most mystical sites in England…had it not been for the current circumstances and his less-than-ideal travelling companions.

* * *

The two hour drive was made mostly—mercifully—in silence. The dragon god dozed in the back seat, while the pop star, who was in the passenger seat stared out at the passing countryside, seemingly determined to pretend that he was somewhere, _anywhere_ else. Nicholas could hardly blame the former Suzaku emperor…he didn't like their current situation any more than the pretty-boy musician did.

Driving on unfamiliar roads took a lot of concentration, but did not prevent his thoughts from turning to Miaka once again. Being married to her had taught him to have a healthy respect for her uncanny ability to surprise, annoy and arouse him. In the event of enforced proximity, the feisty former Miko was likely to get under Nakago's skin, slipping past the nearly impenetrable walls designed to keep everyone out. Unfortunately, his alter-ego would react negatively to this, and lash out at her, seeking to punish her for making him _feel_. While he doubted that his past self would hurt her physically given her pregnancy, he also knew that the shogun would probably attempt to toy with her mind and emotions. There was no telling how much damage it could potentially do to their relationship when she returned to the present.

His fingers tightened fractionally on the steering wheel. Nicholas hated being blackmailed…and Taiitsukun knew very well that he would battle the Devil himself to get Miaka back. Living a life without her was a prospect he refused to even consider. If they all made it through this debacle in one piece, he was going to demand the pound of flesh owed to him by the Gods.

He smoothly accelerated past a sign marking the outskirts of Amesbury; heard Saihitei's quick intake of breath when the ancient structure they had come to find appeared to their left in the distance.

They would pay a visit to the world-famous monument later tonight to indulge in some mildly illegal reconnaissance of the area. According to Seiryuu, the attempt to open the portal would have to wait until the following night…the night of the new moon. While Nicholas was strongly inclined to take anything that came out of Seiryuu's mouth with a generous handful of salt, they did not really have much of a choice, since the entire mission was relying on the former deity's knowledge. Loathe as he was to admit it, he could not think of any reason why the dragon god would mislead them at this point…especially when even Seiryuu's own continued existence hinged on their success. The reluctant explanation they were given even made sense.

Although he was not an expert in celestial theology, he did know enough to not to underestimate the importance of the various moon phases. The waning moon was closely associated with the descent into death and darkness. That was not the path he wished to tread into Avalon. By contrast, the new moon signified new beginnings, rebirth, and the journey into life after death…thus, it was fitting that its light would lead them to into the place where chosen souls went to reside. Besides, it suited him to see it as a positive omen. When he walked through the portal to the other side tomorrow night, he would hold his thoughts of Miaka and his love for her close to his heart like a talisman. After all, no creature symbolised rebirth more than the immortal phoenix that rose anew from the ashes of its old self…and Miaka would always be a true priestess of Suzaku.

As if on cue, the clouds in the overcast sky parted for just a moment, bathing the surrounding countryside in sunlight. It shone in through the car's windshield and glinted off his wedding ring, imbuing him with an unwavering sense of purpose.

* * *

She had been escorted to his quarters in silence. Her initial attempts at conversation fell flat, with the guards giving her a wide berth and studiously avoiding her gaze. She had to wonder what His Nastiness had told them. One would think that they would be a trifle nicer to the person who held the key to their continued well-being in her hands. Instead, they acted like she had the bubonic plague or something.

Sighing as the door swung closed behind her, Miaka temped down on her annoyance at men in general—and a certain blonde shogun in particular—in favour of having a look around. Admittedly, her outburst at dinner was not the most intelligent thing she could have done, but at least he had stopped treating her in that artificially nice manner which made her skin crawl.

It was a bit brighter inside his chambers than it had been in the passageway outside, due to the presence of several strategically placed lamps. Despite her predicament, she felt a wave of excitement at finally seeing Nakago's room at the palace. This was something that she had never thought she'd be witness to, but since he had literally ordered her into his personal living space and she didn't have anything terribly urgent to do until he returned…

The main door opened into a large area for receiving guests and for taking meals, which was where she was currently standing. Making her way across the room, she passed through an arched doorway and found herself in what was obviously his bedchamber. There was also an adjoining room which looked like a study. His quarters were larger and more spacious than the one she had spent the morning locked in. She supposed it befitted his rank as the Shogun of Kutou. Yet, the furnishings were positively spartan by palace standards, with not a single piece of superfluous furniture. While she had no doubt that everything was of the highest quality, the room was completely devoid of anything that would give away the personality of its occupant. That, in itself, was quintessentially Nakago. The fact that his taste in décor had not changed all that much actually comforted her, because it reminded her of his apartment before their marriage; before she had added her own touches here and there to turn the place into a home.

Miaka wondered what he had in store for her as his so-called personal servant, squashing her anxiety and instead forcing herself to think of potentially funny ways to get back at him. _He __better __not __expect __me to pick __up __his __underwear __and __hand-wash __it __for __him__…_If that ever happened, Seiryuu's most powerful warrior was going to find himself wearing pink underpants! In any case, Nakago, like his future self, appeared to be scrupulously neat. Not a single piece of discarded clothing (unmentionable or otherwise) could be seen in his bedchamber or the outer hall.

Suddenly, another thought struck her, freezing her on her tracks. Where was she going to sleep? Surely he would not make her to sleep in the same bed with him? She shook her head violently in denial as a shiver ran up her spine. He _wouldn__'__t_…not with Soi around, would he?

Biting her lip, she began to pace. Her movements mirrored the troubled thoughts going round and round in her mind. For lack of anywhere else to go, she walked into the study, her eyes taking in the desk with papers organised into tidy stacks and a large table with a shockingly detailed topographical model of Kutou and its neighbouring lands laid out on it. There were tiny human-shaped figurines placed at specific spots. Frowning, Miaka took a closer look and realised that the figurines represented Kutou's troops. _This is where he plans the military attacks on Konan! I need to warn Hotohori! I must—… _she let out a slow hiss of breath through her teeth as she reined in the instinctive need to protect Konan as a miko and as a friend of its emperor. _All this has already happened._ Konan would hold—_had held_—its own against Kutou without her help until her fifteen-year-old self appeared.

Being restless and apprehensive was not a good combination when one was pregnant. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to have multiplied and were doing enough flapping to cause a hurricane in some unfortunate place on the other side of the planet. She was sure her blood pressure was shooting up through the roof, which probably wasn't good for the baby she was carrying. She desperately needed a distraction and as she stared at the miniature mountains and rivers, an idea formed in her mind. Before the more reasonable part of her brain could convince her otherwise, she found herself reaching out to touch several of the tiny model soldiers…

* * *

_This is all Taiitsukun's fault._

In fact, he could trace every single misfortune he had endured over the last two days back to the instant the old crone gate-crashed Miaka's birthday party. Things had gone continuously downhill from there. Andy tried not to think about the embarrassing washroom incident with the Walking Icicle, but he was certain that the memory was seared into his mind for all eternity. Unfortunately, his current run of bad luck showed no signs of letting up…Fate, he imagined, seemed to be driving him straight towards a cliff and happily stomping on the gas pedal!

Their midnight excursion to the ancient stones had started off well enough. The area was cordoned off with only a low rope marker that served to keep tourists at bay during the day, which they had stepped over without any difficulty. As they drew near the stones, fate had once again conspired to sabotage him by sending the moon behind a bank of clouds and placing a loose rock in his path. He had proceeded to trip and fall headlong into a relatively deep ditch that had conveniently appeared in front of him. Narrowly avoiding a broken neck thanks to his seishi reflexes, he'd looked up to see both shogun and god standing on the opposite embankment and regarding him with almost identical mocking stares…

The next hour had been spent walking amongst the stones, trying to locate the exact location of the portal into Avalon. According to Seiryuu, the problem was that the layout of Stonehenge itself had changed over the millennia, and many of the original pillars which had served as mystical doorways to the other realm were missing or had toppled over. Out of the corner of his eye, he had noticed his blonde arch-nemesis—who had yet to utter a single word in the last couple of hours—leaning against one of the sandstone monoliths with his arms folded across his chest, staring up at the stars overhead. Somehow, seeing Nicholas in such a pensive mood was deeply unsettling. Andy shivered involuntarily, switching his attention back to the other member of their team.

Seiryuu had one palm laid flat against a lone pillar, and seemed to be absently muttering to himself. After several moments, he turned and imperiously summoned them over, announcing that he had found what he needed. The blue-haired man then pointed to several barely visible rows of runic symbols carved into the stone, eroded by elements and worn down by the passage of time. No doubt those very same symbols had baffled generations of archaeologists. As the erstwhile dragon deity traced the letters, Andy could have sworn that he saw the carvings shimmer briefly with an eerie light. However, there was no time for anything else to be said, as flashlights in the distance alerted them to the approach of others; probably guards making their regular rounds.

The three of them had quietly retreated the same way they had come. Later, in the car heading back to the hotel where they had checked in for the night, Seiryuu had fallen contemplatively silent, refusing to tell them anything—even when threatened—except for a cryptic remark about hoping for rain before sauntering off to bed…

The night had been largely spent tossing and turning. Andy had not managed to sleep a wink, which might have contributed to his less than stellar behaviour in the morning.

_Sitting in the hotel's sunlit breakfast room and nursing his second cup of coffee, he pulled out his phone; dialling a familiar number from memory. His original intent had been to keep Miaka's brother updated on what was happening, as well as what Seiryuu had told them. However, the conversation had soon turned towards how Andy was getting along with his arch-enemy (who also happened to be Keisuke's brother-in-law). Over the past few years, he had become firm friends with the elder Yuuki sibling, and didn't think twice before responding. _

"_He's as frosty as ever, no big surprise there…although he probably would have danced on my grave if I had broken my neck in that ditch!" _

_Keisuke's deep sigh came through clearly over the line, "Look, Andy…I know you guys have one hell of a past history, but Miaka-chan needs both of you right now. No one expects you to be best buddies with Nicholas, but for her sake, you have to find some common ground with him if you're supposed to be working together!"_

"_We have," he had retorted, squeezing his eyes shut and massaging the bridge of his nose in agitation, "I hate him, and he hates me."_

_When he had concluded the call, he'd looked up to find Seiryuu standing on the opposite side of the table, regarding him with a grin that showed far too many teeth and shrewd turquoise eyes that saw way too much._

"_Jealousy does not become you, Emperor of Konan, nor does coveting another man's wife…" the God of War said in a deceptively mild voice, "And green really isn't your colour."_

"_Shut up and mind your own business!" Andy had snapped angrily, not caring that he sounded like a petulant ten-year-old child. _

_The amusement vanished off the arrogant being's preternaturally handsome features, "It's my business if your hatred towards Nakago potentially threatens the success of our mission." Although Seiryuu was now trapped in human form, an unmistakable aura of danger emanated from him. Without waiting for a reply, Seiryuu continued over any protests Andy might have made, "Now stop dawdling and come along, we need to catch up with my anti-social seishi." It was only when the other man turned away and started towards the door that he noticed that the former deity had a large duffel bag slung over one shoulder. _

"_What's that?'_

"_Props," came the aggravatingly vague answer._

He didn't trust the dragon god in the least, but there didn't seem to be any other option except to follow…If only to ensure that Seiryuu did not create havoc amongst the unsuspecting populace.

It was still rather early in the morning and they did not meet anyone else as they crossed the river behind the small but charming Bed and Breakfast (specifically chosen because of its remote location), and followed a small path into the woods that stretched over several hectares of land. Seiryuu appeared to be using some sort of sixth sense to lead them to the blonde shogun. Despite the fact that Seiryuu and Nakago seemed to hold nothing but disdain for each other (and for the rest of humanity, for that matter), a tenuous bond still apparently remained between master and former servant. The idea of sharing _any _type of connection with either of them made Andy feel distinctly queasy.

Cutting an unerring path through the trees, it was not long before they came to a natural clearing. Nicholas stood calmly in front of them, having obviously sensed their approach. While the blonde general's face was in its usual expressionless mask, Andy noticed that several of the massive chestnut trees nearby were partially splintered and one was almost completely uprooted, as though someone had blasted them—repeatedly—with chi…

The gleam in Seiryuu's eyes could only be described as malicious as he reached into the duffel bag, withdrawing a sheathed sword and in a blur of movement, sent it spinning through the air towards the former shogun.

Nicholas caught the weapon easily with one hand. If he was surprised by the dragon god's actions, he did not show it.

Another sword, identical to the first, was rudely thrust, hilt-first, into Andy's face. "What the—!" Grabbing hold of it before it made contact with his nose, he turned to glare at the obnoxious deity, only to find the being in question was already strolling towards Nicholas. Gritting his teeth and muttering an uncomplimentary epithet in a particularly coarse Chinese dialect, he tried not to give in to the overwhelming urge to run the blue-haired man through with the sword.

The Seiryuu seishi drew his sword, examining it with the ease of an experienced swordsman. A blonde eyebrow arched sardonically, "The blade is blunt."

Surprised, Andy slid the second sword out of its sheath, finding the long length of steel in similar condition. He belatedly recalled seeing the god wearing the twin swords along with the rest of his traditional armour when they had first rescued the ungrateful bastard from the Tower Bridge, but had not given them another thought since then. "A reflection of its owner, perhaps," he said spitefully under his breath, but loud enough for both the other men to hear.

The God of War's mouth compressed in visible irritation at the obvious insult, "Taiitsukun's doing, I assure you. In their original form, they are able to slice through solid stone." Levelling a finger at Andy, he sneered, "You need to work out your frustration and resentment before tonight so that you don't jeopardise our chances." Cocking his head in the shogun's direction, he added condescendingly, "And Nakago could do with the practice."

"I am not interested in playing your games. Why should I indulge you?" Nicholas asked as he resheathed the sword with a decisive snap, the coldness in his voice matching the glacial blue of his eyes.

"Because you know that I'm right. There are some ghosts from the past that need to be laid to rest." Seiryuu waved a hand in a lazy gesture of dismissal and turned, "The blades may not be sharp, but can still do a lot of damage. Do try not to hurt each other too badly," he tossed over his shoulder as he strolled toward the opposite side of the clearing with hands tucked in his trouser pockets, giving every appearance of leaving them to make their own decision.

"We don't have time for this! Miaka is waiting for us to save her," Andy breathed impatiently, his fingers tightening around the intricately carved, lacquered wood and polished metal of the scabbard, "I wonder what the bastard is up to…if he thinks he can manipulate us for his own amusement—"

"As much as I loathe to admit it, Seiryuu does has a valid point."

His gaze snapped back to meet the silver-blue stare of the arrogant bane-of-his-existence. The shogun held the sword loosely by the hilt. The relaxed grip was deceptive…and the sign of a master swordsman. Keeping flexibility in the wrist would enable Nakago to draw the weapon in one fluid motion, as well as allow him to control the sword like an extension of his own body.

Andy's spine stiffened and his brows drew together in a perplexed frown, "What?"

The erstwhile shogun continued to watch him steadily, and Andy thought he detected something that looked very much like regret flicker briefly across the aristocratic features. "The odds were hardly stacked evenly during our last confrontation," the Seiryuu seishi said blandly without bothering to elaborate. They both knew he was referring to the fateful day Hotohori had been killed. It wasn't something one was ever likely to forget…or forgive. "I am offering you a rematch."

And that was all the warning Andy got, before he sensed—rather than saw—twenty-eight inches of tampered steel headed straight towards him. _Shit! __I __didn__'__t __even __see __him __drawing __it __out __from __the __sheath! _He leaped backwards while simultaneously drawing his own weapon, the Emperor swordsman rising to the forefront of his consciousness. Hotohori met Nakago's smirk with a dignified look of contempt a split-second before launching himself forward in a counter-offensive of his own.

It was the beginning of a dangerous dance that would put all his skills to the test and fill him with a breathtaking rush of exhilaration he had not felt in a long time…not even as Andy.

Sparks flew as their swords met, the metal ringing as Nakago blocked his swing. The blonde man knocked Hotohori's sword sideways with easy strength, and immediately followed up with a diagonal slash. Hotohori twisted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding an attack which would have bisected him from left hip to right shoulder had they been fighting with sharpened blades. Even so, had the hit connected, it was still guaranteed to hurt like hell…Especially when his so-called _sparring __partner_ seemed intent on quartering him like an apple.

He aimed a swipe at the Seiryuu seishi's flank, but was surprised when the shogun stopped the path of his blade with the scabbard. However, there wasn't any time for him to marvel at his opponent's technique as he was forced to execute a back flip to dodge a stab between the ribs. Landing neatly with the grace of a gymnast, Saihitei slid back into a battle-ready stance, brows drawn together in concentration. He had never seen the style of fighting used by his arch-nemesis, which utilised both sword and sheath. _Attack and defence at the same time…how strangely appropriate for one such as Nakago. _

They circled each other like two large predators, feinting and parrying, each searching for the weaknesses in the other's technique. The clash of steel on steel echoed in the clearing, shattering the early morning quiet. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they stood unmoving at an impasse. He had his blade against Nakago's throat, while the tip of the blonde man's weapon rested directly over Hotohori's heart. He was drenched in sweat, the harsh sound of his own breathing loud in his ears. They had both divested themselves of their shirts early on, and he sported an angry red welt down his side where his adversary's sword had grazed him. He hadn't allowed the Walking Icicle to get away with that however...a large, rapidly-darkening bruise blooming across Nakago's ribs was evidence of a rather painful encounter with the hilt of Hotohori's sword.

"Touché." The quietly voiced word was tinged with irony as the blonde former shogun tilted his head elegantly in acknowledgement at the outcome of their match.

By unspoken agreement, they both lowered their swords and stepped back.

Watching as the Seiryuu seishi flicked the blade of the weapon in an almost ritualistic manner before returning it to its protective casing, he felt the spirit of the emperor slowly withdraw, until he was fully Andy once again. As much as it pained him to admit, Hotohori had _enjoyed_ pitting his skills against a worthy opponent. The hostility he harboured towards the arrogant jerk wasn't anywhere near disappearing completely, but it wasn't as sharp and biting as before. He realised that he also felt…validated in a sense, that it wasn't a lack of skill as a swordsman or as a seishi that had caused Hotohori's death.

He had not let his miko down back then in the Shijintenchisho.

Carefully sliding his own sword back into its sheath, he flipped his hair over his shoulder and drew in a calming breath, "Why?" he asked softly.

"Your resentment was eating you alive," Nicholas bent to retrieve the discarded shirt from the ground and shrugged it on. When he turned, he fixed Andy with a flinty stare, "Do not misunderstand, Saihitei…I did not do this for you. Miaka worries about you; your continued bitterness about what happened in the past troubles her deeply. She was your Miko, and in many ways, still is…You are important to her, and she wishes for nothing more than your happiness."

Shame crawled through Andy for making Miaka worry. Worse, he had failed to realise it on his own and had to be told by the man whom he had often accused of having the emotional range of an ice cube.

_For Miaka…_

_Everything he does, every action he takes, is for Miaka. He has been her protector all this time, while you have only caused her to worry. Some seishi you turned out to be, _his mental voice berated unmercifully. His mouth suddenly felt as if it had been filled with sawdust and he turned his head, not wanting his arch-nemesis to see the inner turmoil he was experiencing. He licked lips which had suddenly gone dry, needing to say something—_anything_—but did not have the faintest idea where to start. "I…"

"So what did I miss?"

Seiryuu sauntered towards them, looking for all the world like a cat that had just eaten a very plump canary. They took in the dishevelled appearance of the dragon god, whose shirt was buttoned up wrongly and whose jeans—…Andy hastily averted his eyes, but not fast enough to save him from finding out that the former deity had apparently decided to forego wearing any underwear that day.

"In the name of all that is holy, zip up your pants!" he spluttered, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the grass at his feet. "I think I'm going to go blind!"

Seiryuu chuckled as he unrepentantly took care of his obvious wardrobe malfunction, even as a nauseating thought suddenly occurred to Andy.

Before he could voice out his suspicions however, Nicholas beat him to it. "Did you get off on watching us fight each other?" the blonde former general enquired sardonically, somehow managing to project an attitude of unsurprised boredom despite being confronted with the sight of…parts of another man's anatomy that should remain strictly private.

"Hardly. You two aren't that titillating." Shaking back his cerulean hair with an haughty toss of his head, the once-revered deity smirked at the way Andy's jaw dropped open in speechless astonishment.

The skin of Seiryuu's neck was peppered with red marks that were unmistakably love bites…And one could only assume from the dragon god's debauched appearance that the kiss marks did not just stop there.

"While both of you were otherwise occupied, I took it upon myself to ensure that we had the correct conditions for our outing tonight."

"By having a tryst in the woods?" he yelled, stabbing an accusing finger at the ex-god, not caring that his usually well-modulated singer's voice was cracking and several octaves higher than normal. He could feel his face turning red as his blood pressure shot up at a rate that would have surely alarmed Mitsukake. "Of all the irresponsible, _depraved_—"

"By making a deal with the local water nymphs," Seiryuu cut off Andy's diatribe, "It was fortunate we were able to reach an acceptable…agreement. The word 'nymphomaniac' originated from those creatures for a reason. They really were quite feisty." The former god's grin widened at the lack of reaction from Nicholas. Turning to the blonde shogun, he added in a fake stage whisper deliberately pitched loud enough for anyone within a twenty-foot radius to hear, "I must say that sex in this human form is rather enjoyable. I can understand why you indulge in it with that pretty little wife of yours so oft—..."

Andy choked on his own tongue, firmly convinced that he was now mentally scarred for life.

With a seemingly casual movement, Nicholas had his sword drawn and the blade pressed up against the dragon god's crotch, "Do not to disrespect her again. You might find yourself impotent rather than omnipotent."

The statement was spoken pleasantly enough. There was even a faint curling of the corners of his mouth which could be mistaken for a smile. For all intents and purposes, Miaka's husband acted like a politician at tea party for old ladies; with effortless charm and impeccable manners.

Unfortunately, there was no way anyone could miss the dead seriousness in those eerie quicksilver eyes…nor was it remotely possible for any male to doubt the sincerity behind a knife to the balls.

* * *

Soundlessly entering his quarters, Nakago was mildly surprised to see his newly indentured servant slumped over at the table, fast asleep. He had been fully prepared for an attack of feminine fists and fury, and would not have put it past her to attempt to murder him by cracking a vase over his head. To come in and find her sleeping was somewhat anti-climatic.

It belatedly occurred to him that he should have arranged for a mattress and some blankets for her. After all, he could not have his newest acquisition drooping over all the furniture, could he? Striding back the way he came in, he spoke quietly to the guard outside. With a single nod, the man disappeared into the shadows to carry out his orders.

He took the opportunity to study her as she slept, with her head cushioned on one arm, her hair a mess of glossy tumbled curls. She looked far too innocent for a place like Kutou. The corruption that festered here tended to strip people of their dreams and ideals, along with most of their morals. He shut his eyes for a moment, brutally slamming the door on the dark memories that he had no desire to revisit. What was it about this woman that affected him so? Whatever it was, he silently vowed not to allow her to sway him from his ultimate goal. He would use her like he had used countless others to fulfil his destiny and take revenge on those who had wronged him.

The guard returned with the requested items just as a gong sounded somewhere in the palace, alerting him to the fact that it was already midnight. Nakago had spent the last several hours in the shrine of Seiryuu, but that had been wholly unproductive…the towering dragon statue had remained dark and silent, not giving up any of its secrets.

It took Nakago a only moment to consider where he wanted the mattress to be placed. An alcove across the room from his own bed suited his requirements…close enough that he could prevent any midnight escape attempts; but far away enough to give him time to react—she would have to navigate around several pieces of furniture first—should she decide to try her hand at assassination. After laying out the bedding, the guard bowed and withdrew from the room. If the man thought it strange that his coldly aloof superior officer appeared to be holding a woman prisoner in his quarters, he wisely chose to give no indication that anything was amiss.

Returning to the main room, he reached down and touched her shoulder...

There was barely time for him to clamp his hand around the slender wrist that shot up. A wrist that was attached to a small fist clutching a delicate but deadly golden hairpin he'd last seen decorating her hair. The pointed end hovered several inches from where it would have pierced the side of his neck if he had been even a second slower. She blinked up at him owlishly, still half-asleep, before he saw full awareness slowly seep back into her eyes.

"Oh," she sounded almost disappointed, "It's you. Don't sneak up on me like that, I could have hurt you!" With that, she promptly dropped the hair ornament and waited for him to release her, as if almost stabbing someone with an unlikely weapon was a common occurrence for her. He did not detect any trace of deception or murderous intent in her aura…and reading chi was one of his specialities. So unless her ability to manipulate and mask her chi surpassed his own…

_Impossible, __for __a __mere __female__…_he dismissed the notion swiftly as he let go of her.

Rather than angering him, this new aspect of her served to deepen the captivating mystery that was Yuuki. A walking bundle of contradictions, she was by turns naïve, unconventional, and had the instincts of someone who had lived through numerous battles…_but __not __battle-hardened, _a fundamentally masculine part of him could not help but notice. The skin under his fingers had been soft and silky smooth.

He shut down that train of thought before it could meander down an avenue that would prove far too distracting. "Now that we have gotten the murder attempt out of the way," he drawled indulgently, "It is time for bed."

His captive predictably jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Nakago watched her gaze dart to the hairpin on the floor, as if contemplating her chances of retrieving it and putting it to use on him. "I am not going to sleep with you!" She bristled like a cornered kitten, a wash of colour reddening her cheeks.

"No one said anything about sleeping," he pointed out with a mocking smile calculated to alarm her even further; inwardly amused at the way she was getting so riled up at the thought of spending the night with him. Her obvious reluctance should have been a blow to his male ego, but Nakago found that toying with her was unexpectedly enjoyable. Unhurriedly moving to the entrance of the bedchamber, he paused infinitesimally just beyond the doorway before continuing on his way inside.

Before she could even question the strangeness of his actions, an invisible force yanked her bodily into the other room after him, as if she were no more than a dog on a leash. She tried to resist, digging her heels in, but with nothing to hold on to, she found herself stumbling awkwardly into the bedchamber against her will and unceremoniously dumped onto a mattress. The sudden movement made her dizzy, and it took a lot of effort not to throw up. When she finally managed to lift her head without feeling the need to empty the contents of her stomach, the blonde shogun was sitting on his bed on the opposite side of the room, one long leg leisurely crossed over the other in a relaxed pose.

And he was regarding her with the patented smirk that still succeeded in annoying her to no end, even after living in close quarters with his future self. Of course, she knew that Nakago would not force himself on her. He would do many despicable things in time to come, but raping women would never be one of them. Not now, and not when the Suzaku no Miko faced him in that tent in Hokkan. However, she should still be afraid, knowing how utterly ruthless he was…it was just that she simply could not find the energy to summon any fear in the face of the nausea she was currently experiencing.

He stood gracefully without warning, and right in front of her, began to take off his clothes without an ounce of self-consciousness. First nonchalantly untying his sash, then smoothly undoing the cloth buttons of his outer tunic; he swiftly shed the tunic, followed by the shirt under it. Miaka gaped at him, mentally screaming at herself to avert her eyes. But like watching a horrific accident happening, she found herself unable to look away.

With a casual ripple of sculpted muscle, he moved to drape both garments over a nearby chair. "Why don't you come over here to thank me properly? I could have easily let you sleep on the floor." The blonde Seiryuu seishi met her gaze, and she knew that he had caught her staring. The corners of his mouth lifted in a cold, knowing smile...and lazily crooked a finger at her, as though summoning a slave.

_Arrogant __Jerk!_ With a narrow-eyed glare, Miaka reluctantly crossed the room, knowing that he would force her compliance if she didn't, and she didn't think her stomach would survive another psychokinetic rollercoaster ride. She bowed stiffly, "Thank you for your immense generosity, _Shogun-sama,_" she muttered through clenched teeth, sarcasm dripping off every word.

A hand under her chin tipped her head up, and she had no choice but to look directly at him. He bent slightly until their noses where almost touching, so close that she could not help but inhale his unique scent. He smelled like a cool rain-drenched night. Completely Nakago, and utterly compelling. There was an inscrutable expression in his blue eyes; his wordless perusal of her face intense and unnerving. "I want you…" he said very deliberately, causing her to rear backwards in shock; a reaction rather like someone pulling open their sock drawer and finding a nest of scorpions inside. Her back collided with a side-table—thankfully there was no priceless Ming vase on top of it—which effectively stopped her retreat just as he concluded his sentence, "…to remove my boots and fetch my robe."

"You are perfectly capable of doing that yourself!" she snapped, crossing her arms (lest she lost control and tried to throttle him), her temper close to boiling point at the way he had tricked her and how she had fallen headlong into his verbal trap. _The later model_, she thought, _is scarily similar to the prototype. _The man in front of her would be reincarnated with every single one of his evil personality traits intact, including his twisted sense of humour. _And yet that didn't stop you, Baka, _her inner voice remarked wryly, _from falling in love with him._

He actually had the audacity to smirk a second time, but the apparent mirth did not reach his eyes. "Ah, but what would be the use of having a servant if I cannot assign demeaning, menial tasks?" It was a rhetorical question which he did not wait for her to answer. "Do as I ask, and you may use that mattress. Otherwise, the only bed in here will be mine."

And since she knew that he would not hesitate to carry out the threat, she angrily knelt at his feet with a hostile growl, and jerkily began undoing the leather ties that laced up his calves, holding his boots in place. Her pique melted into apprehension as she worked, feeling the sleek contours of powerful muscles through the thin suede leather. Luckily, it came off easily and she repeated the process with the other boot, while simultaneously trying to distract herself from the fact that his groin was exactly at eye level. It took almost all her willpower to set the footwear neatly to the side rather than act on her fantasy of shoving them up somewhere…he was unlikely to _ever _get a sun tan. With a dirty glare at her current arch-nemesis, she rose to her feet, silently addressing the tiny life in her womb as she stomped away to get his robe, _I hope, little Baby, that you don't turn out to be as big a jerk as your daddy used to be! _

She came to an abrupt halt, belatedly realising that she did not know where to find the requested item.

"The cabinet on your right," Nakago supplied blandly, impervious to all the ill-natured musings that were currently being directed at him..

_If I ever see Taiitsukun again, I am going to gut her with a spoon, _she vowed with uncharacteristic calm, not really caring how her homicidal thoughts would negatively affect the child growing inside her. _And then I will make Nakago suffer for every evil thing his past self does to me here. _It was a good thing that her back was turned. The demented grin that briefly appeared on her face would have scared off a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians.

But first, she had to survive her sojourn with the most dangerous man in the Universe of the Four Gods. Dragging her mind back to the task at hand, she gingerly reached into the ebony wood cabinet and pulled out the first thing her hands alighted on, which fortunately, turned out to be a sleeping robe in a rich midnight blue. Made of the finest silk, the material was cool to the touch and felt wonderful under her fingertips. It would slide sensuously over Nakago's smooth, warm skin and—…Miaka hastily killed the mental image before it could proceed any further, disgusted with herself. She definitely needed therapy…here she was, being forced into being his servant, and she was having perverted thoughts about her jailer! Was she already starting to exhibit signs of Stockholm Syndrome so soon? Or more likely, being married to the Walking Icicle had irredeemably corrupted her mind…

Clutching the robe, she forced herself to turn and walk back towards her nemesis. He stood by the bed in nothing but his trousers, the soft lamplight emphasising the hard ridges and hollows of his warrior's body. She knew he was waiting to see what she would do, and refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her nerves rattled. Stalking up to him, she held the clothing out to him, stopping just short of shoving it at his chest, "You robe, _Shogun-sama_." she intoned in a sickly-sweet voice, not allowing herself to be affected by his closeness and his state of undress.

When the insufferable man made no move except to lift an eyebrow, Miaka tried her best to hang on to her fast unravelling composure. "You said to take off your boots and fetch your clothes. I have done exactly as you asked. It's late and I'm tired. Just take the damned robe so we can both get some sleep! Or will you go back on your word earlier?" Fatigue, pregnancy hormones, and a certain egotistical Seiryuu general were all factors contributing to the migraine that was threatening to liquefy her brain. She was cranky and irritable from being rudely awakened by him and coerced into acting like a maid; and she was pregnant…well, because of Nakago too. When one really thought about it, he—in _both_ his incarnations—was arguably the root cause of all her problems.

She squeaked when he caught her by both wrists and dragged her towards him, so close that his lips brushed the delicate shell of her ear, "Such impudence is most unbecoming for someone who is supposed to cater to my every whim," the blonde shogun said softly, his voice deeply seductive, yet loosely wrapped in velvet menace. "Fortunately for you, this game of ours amuses me, and I am a man of my word." His grip on her tightened fractionally, hard enough to leave red marks on her skin. It was a clear warning that he could easily hurt her if he so chose. "I will uncover your secrets. That is a promise I fully intend to keep." He took the fabric out of her hands before it fell to the floor and turned away; slipping the light material over his broad shoulders.

Spinning around, she bit back a derogatory comment about his parentage as she stormed to "her" designated alcove. She was about to climb into her hard-earned bed when she heard the unmistakable rustle of clothing and instinctively glanced back to identify the source of the noise, just in time to see her tormentor dropping his pants. "Wha—…HENTAI!" Whipping her head back around so quickly that she almost gave herself a nasty case of whiplash, Miaka all but dived face-down onto the mattress, blushing hotly enough to rival an overcooked lobster. _Crap! __This __is __so __wrong!_ she wailed mentally. It didn't matter that she hadn't actually seen anything, since his back had been to her, and the floor-length robe had shielded the rest of his…personal attributes. She wasn't a virgin, and was in fact intimately acquainted with Nakago's body…just not this particular version of Nakago.

His voice floated over to her from across the room, and it was fairly obvious that he was inwardly laughing at her, "Who is the perverted one here, I wonder? Me, for taking off my clothing so that I can rest comfortably, or you, for peeping at me while I disrobed?"

"WHY YOU…YOU…!" she spluttered, temporarily speechless with outrage.

Nakago made a brisk gesture of casual dismissal, coolly cutting her off while at the same time using his powers to put out the lamps. "Do try to be quiet. People are trying to get some sleep," he tossed her own words back at her as the room was plunged into darkness.

"I. WAS. NOT. PEEPING. AT. YOU!"

The only response she received was a low masculine chuckle which brushed over her senses like a teasing caress.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

They were there watching daylight fade over the ancient circle of stones. The moon was in its darkest phase tonight, and would not be visible to human eyes. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, giving him pause. He studied the grey clouds that had suddenly began swirling ominously overhead, gathering in what had been, only minutes ago, a vast clear sky.

A discreet glance towards the man at his side assured him that dragon god did not appear concerned. On the contrary, Seiryuu was looking up at the clouds and smiling. Recalling the cryptic remark from the previous night about hoping for rain, Nicholas swiftly deduced that this was the deal which his former master had struck with the nymphs that morning, while he and Saihitei were pitting their sword skills against each other. It was beginning to make sense…besides being one of the four beast guardians in the Universe of the Four Gods, Seiryuu was also the elemental God of Water. Given this particular affinity, water—especially that falling from the heavens—would serve to enhance the power of any ritual or incantation the dragon god performed…even if he was mostly human at the moment.

The first torrent came down suddenly, large drops striking them with almost painful force, instantly soaking them to the skin. The combination of heavy rain, and swiftly encroaching darkness succeeded in convincing any sane person to head for shelter and virtually guaranteed that they had the historic monument to themselves.

Seiryuu, it seemed, deserved a measure of respect…the erstwhile deity had never planned to leave the weather or the privacy aspect to chance.

Saihitei's features hardened into a scowl as the pop star evidently reached a similar conclusion. It was obvious that the Suzaku seishi found the idea of giving any credit to Seriyuu to be distasteful (even more so because they knew how the ex-god had gone about achieving such a state of affairs), but in a surprising show of maturity, stoically chose not to comment upon it.

Wordlessly, the three of them made their way into the stone circle. Without sparing either of them a glance, the cerulean-haired man stopped several feet in front of the stone he had identified the previous night, shed his already soaked shirt and withdrew a small paring knife which had obviously been stolen from the inn. The dragon god drew in a slow deep breath, closed his eyes, and began an incantation in a language that Nicholas suspected had not be used in a millennia. The sound of the words reverberated among the dark stones. Thunder boomed directly overhead, and the storm seemed to intensify. Lifting a hand, Seiryuu gripped the knife in the other and steadily carved a symbol that looked an inverted 'R' into his palm. Blood welled and flowed freely, mixing with water, as he stepped up to the stone pillar and pressed his bleeding outstretched palm to the smooth rock.

For a moment, nothing happened, then Nicholas realised that the rain was beginning to _vaporise_. It was steaming off of Seiryuu, swirling around the former deity and streaming in seemingly random directions.

Seiryuu continued to chant in that mysterious language, as if in a trance.

Within minutes, ropes of eerily iridescent mist crisscrossed one another throughout the ancient site like threads of a tangled spider's web, many of them doubling back on themselves while yet innumerable others led off to heaven-knew-where, although all of them seemed to bisect one another at the very centre of Stonehenge. Beyond the circle of stones, the vapour had coalescenced into dozens of faintly glowing, misty doorways. Some of them flickered with disturbing shadowy images which did not look remotely human, discouraging closer inspection. Nicholas caught glimpses of a few recognisable places amongst other doorways; Machu Picchu in Peru, Borobudur in Indonesia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the unmistakable silhouettes of the pyramids at Giza…

A gateway stood directly beyond the single stone monolith that was now stained with the dragon god's blood.

Seiryuu pulled back abruptly, a frown etched across his preternaturally handsome features.

"What's wrong?" Andy demanded, sensing the sudden tension in the beast guardian's posture.

"It's damaged, like many of the other gates," Seiryuu said in disgust. Pointing to the warped, crackling edges and the ominously opaque swirling mist in the doorway, the former god elaborated impatiently, "Probably only one person will be able to pass through before it destabilises completely." He shook his head, as if remembering something and cursed aloud, "I recall now, this used to be part of a set of two pillars holding up a third slab. The rest of the structure is now gone, rendering this gate almost unusable."

The celebrity singer/songwriter raked a hand through his wet hair in agitation, "What? Surely there's another gate—"

"No, there isn't another gate to the afterlife anywhere near here," the blue-haired man snapped, "And we don't have the time. The demons are closing in on your precious Suzaku no Miko with every minute that we waste."

Not bothering to get involved in the argument, Nicholas walked past both of them towards the glowing aperture. Andy noticed the movement and grabbed his arm, "Damn it! What the hell do you think you're doing?" the pretty-boy musician hissed, trying to pull him back.

"Making an executive decision," Nicholas told him flatly, "Only one of us can go in, and I stand the best chance of retrieving the sword out of the three of us."

"He's right," Seiryuu concurred grimly.

"Shut up!" Andy snarled at the one-time immortal being over his shoulder and turned his glare back at Nicholas, "What about Miaka? What if you don't make it back?"

Allowing a humourless smile to curve his lips, he met the swordsman's gaze squarely, "Then I will die knowing that there is someone who will take care of her if she returns to this time." And he did mean it…While he held no personal fondness for Saihitei, he knew that the Suzaku seishi still loved Miaka and was fiercely loyal to her. Everything inside him revolted against the thought of Miaka with another man, but he trusted the singer to comfort and protect her.

Paling to the point that he looked almost ill, Andy's mouth compressed in a tight, unhappy line; a muscle jumped in his jaw, betraying his tension, "Don't say things like that. Miaka would be upset if she ever heard you." The voice that had won over legions of fans throughout Asia had gone low and rough; golden eyes bored into Nicholas' own silver-blue ones with burning reproach, "I'm going to be pissed if you get yourself killed and I'm blamed."

The god of war stepped forward, as the gates all around them wavered, "As charming as this conversation is, you must go now." Seiryuu spoke rapidly, "Once you are on the other side, seek out the island in the mists and the one who presides over it. Your worthiness will be tested, but I cannot guess in what way, shape, or form. Trust your instincts, and remember that Excalibur can never be taken by force." The last sentence hung unspoken in the air between them: _You __must __not __fail._

Letting the cold, ruthlessly objective persona of his past take hold, Nakago acknowledged the information with a curt nod. Failure was not an option. There was too much at stake, far too much to lose…and Seiryuu seishi Nakago always watched out for his own interests first and foremost. Without further comment, he turned away from the dragon deity and pop star, crossing the remaining distance to the fading portal. Cloaking himself in layer after layer of focused calm, he banished all doubt and apprehension from his mind, and stepped into the mist.

Instantly, he found himself plunging in an endless free-fall through space and time…It lasted for an eternity, then he too was dissolving, not so much disappearing into nothingness as having his existence disassembled piece by piece.

With jarring suddenness, his consciousness slammed into a metaphorical wall, and that was when reality violently imploded around him in a hideously silent burst of intense black light.

A single timeless voice rose to greet him amid it all.

_Hello, Nick…_

* * *

Notes:

1. This is my early Christmas present to everyone! I sincerely apologise for the unforgivably long wait for this chapter. I don't even have death, illness or computer hard-drive failure as an excuse, and can only blame it on a nasty case of writer's block! It didn't help that I spent months rewriting major sections of this chapter because I was not happy with what I had originally written.

2. Ten years ago, I started writing this series, and now, a decade later, I am rediscovering all the reasons why Watase Yuu's Nakago (I like to call him Nakago v1.0) inspired me to start writing "This Time Around" in the first place! He is deliciously sensual, highly intelligent with a somewhat warped sense of humour, sociopathic, and does things without concern for the feelings of others. What's there not to like about him?

3. Miaka is unwillingly drawn to her captor because he shares many of the same qualities and mannerisms as the man she loves. She has to keep reminding herself that he isn't the same person that she is married to, and that the Nakago that she is currently stuck with doesn't love her. Of course, she's only human (and pregnant on top of it), so her emotions slip up from time to time. Still, Miaka doesn't let the difficult situation that she is in dampen her stubbornness and fiery spirit, which in turn fascinates Nakago v1.0…

4. I couldn't resist letting Seiryuu get up to some mischief of an entirely unwholesome nature… however, this was more than a convenient excuse to inject a little dirty humour into the story. Given the locale that they are in (the middle of the English countryside) and the fact that the plot is now driven by Western mythology in the form of Excalibur and Avalon/Eden/Elysian Fields, the inclusion of the water nymphs adds an interesting favour to the proceedings (not to mention the contrast between a Chinese dragon god and lusty English fairies was too good to ignore) and ties in nicely with the ritual that Seiryuu later performs at Stonehenge.

5. The rune that Seiryuu cuts into his hand is _Raidho_, which usually refers to travel, or a journey. When the rune is inverted, it can also mean Death. It is particularly fitting, since they were trying to summon a portal that would allow them to journey to the Afterlife. Extra brownie points to anyone who caught the meaning!


End file.
